Ozzie
by sweetyukibo8246
Summary: What is Oswald had a childhood friend that came back into his life? This story takes place from Season 1, Episode 16 thru a week before Season 2. (Chapter 1 and part of 2 are written from the POV of a child, so limited vocabulary) Rated T for safety: violence, suggestive content, and language. Sequel to this story has been posted, under the title: 'Oswald'
1. Chapter 1

_20 years ago_

_Gotham Elementary School_

My palms were wet with nervousness as I got out of my Dad's car. I had to hop down from the high step to the pavement due to my small stature and the large vehicle. When I did, I fixed my dress and put on my light backpack. It took me some time to get ready that morning and I hoped that the dress that I chose would not be dumb or ugly to the other kids. It was my favorite, a red top with a skirt with large, bright colored flowers on top of white poke dots against a black background. My shoes were tight on my feet, new from my 8th birthday last week and not broken in yet. But I was happy that they were still shiny and hadn't gotten dirty from wear.

I looked up at the school, it reminded me of a drawing I made of a castle. It was grey against a grey sky, less happy than my picture at home. I took a deep breath before my first step toward the stairs. The front doors were made of glass, so I was able to take one last look at myself before going in. I saw my short and straight mousy brown hair had started to become a little curly and tickled my ears, my round face was freckled across my cheeks and my nose. My brown eyes always reminded me of those neat amber rocks found at the museum giftshop, but I still wish that they were blue or green like my favorite Disney princesses. I tried to smooth down my hair, but it didn't work. Suddenly, the bell rang then realized that I needed to get inside before I got in trouble, so I tugged on the large handle till it gave way.

The people in the office were nice enough to take me to my classroom. When the door opened, I saw the students looking straight at me. I could feel my face getting red and looked down to try to hide it. I hate this feeling, but there wasn't anything that I could do to fix it, except to smile. So, I did. I was introduced to the class and was placed in one of the few available desks. There were the usual judging and curious glances from the other children, but I kept my face open and friendly. If I met another student's gaze, I would give them a small smile; for the most part, I was met with another shy or embarrassed smile before the students would turn their attention back toward the teacher. There were none that stood out as being different or unusual, except for one.

For as long as I could remember, I've been different from most other children. Instead of enjoying the outdoors and playing games involving running, I like staying in one spot to create. Whether that's drawing, writing, or just daydreaming; any of them worked. Instead of wanting as many friends as possible, I would typically enjoy being alone, with one or two friends at the most. But since I moved away, those friends would forget about me. It was always hard to find new friends. Even though I try to be nice, I'm just not a person that deserves friends. Many times, I've been called 'weird' or 'loser'; and I agree with them. There wasn't anything special about me. But the world is special, and so I will enjoy it.

Because of this, I was grateful for what I had and would never believe that I deserved any of it. But I would say "I'm sorry," for so many things that I haven't done right or wasn't good enough in. I wasn't particularly smart or talented, though I did enjoy the arts. There were many times that my teachers would remind me to not be doodling in the margins of my worksheet, a common practice of mine. This would make me upset, because I didn't want to make them mad. I would use up my erasers to clean up my work and then they would be happy. My favorite class was music, I love to sing but I didn't want to sing solos in front of the other kids. My family didn't mind me singing at home though.

But back to the classroom. As I mentioned before, there was one child that was different from the rest. A boy that was next to me. Instead of wearing the normal shirts and shorts with sneakers that the other boys wore, he was dressed as if he was going to a wedding. He wore a suit with shiny dress shoes. His black hair was spiky on his head and was thick with some product, keeping it sharp. He didn't pay attention to me as the new student, but instead maintained a smug glance to the front of the class. Like he knew what the teacher was going to say not only in this class, but through the rest of the year. Instead of concentrating on the class, I caught myself looking at him a little longer than I should.

Later that day, we were told to go outside, despite the threat of rain apparent in the sky. But it was okay, I would search out a solitary spot to daydream and wait for time to return indoors. I found a spot on a bench facing the old, rusty playground equipment. It was close to the fence, and as far away from the other kids as I could get. As I sat and looked at the rolling clouds, imagining them to be several impossible and magical things, I heard the normal sounds of playing children. Those sounds would always give me a non-sensical backdrop to my imaginings. Once, then twice different girls came over to ask me what I was doing. As usual, I answered that I was imagining. They asked a couple more questions, either in disgust or trying to convince me to abandon my activity. To the first, I would just politely thank them for coming over and resume. To the second, I would do the same.

Suddenly, I heard a voice near me, "Please, must we do this again?" I turned my head to the voice, as it sounded distressed. One thing I couldn't stand is someone to be distressed when I could help. I saw the boy with the brace in front of three other boys. They were poking at him, making him stagger around and fighting to remain on his feet. _Of course,_ I thought, _He's different so obviously they want to make fun of him_. I walked over to the scene and said, "Excuse me". The boys looked at me with annoyed glances, the boy with the brace was looking at me in confusion. It was then that I noticed that he had pale blue eyes. Continuing, I said, "I was wondering if you had something better to do than pick on him?" Of course, one of them came forward and yelled some insults at me to the effect of being a stupid girl and some words that I didn't understand. Finally, one of them came and pushed me over onto the ground. Which didn't surprise me. I fought the tears of pain; my leg and hand were scraped from the asphalt. I stood up quickly; my face was no doubt red with embarrassment and a little anger. But I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Fortunately, someone finally noticed what happened and called the teacher over.

After the boys were taken away from us by the teacher, I took a deep breath to calm myself and to keep from crying. I didn't want to seem a crybaby in front of this interesting boy; plus, I had to make sure that he was okay. "Are you okay?" I asked with a kind smile. I saw him looking at me with surprise, and then an annoyed look flashed in his eyes. "You didn't need to do that," he fisted his hands, "I was about to let them have it." I didn't laugh or yell at him. It was obvious that if pushed far enough, he would have attacked them and then would have really been in trouble. I started to walk back toward my seat, saying "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad. I'll just be over here."

I sat down, forgetting about my scrapes and wincing when I sat down. But again, I didn't cry. After a few minutes, I heard his steps walking toward me. "You're hurt, aren't you?" he asked when he faced me. I looked up and again smiled, "I'll be okay." "You are stupid, aren't you?" he asked. Looking at the ground, I answered, "I know." He obviously was confused by my answer. I guess he expected me to yell back at him in anger, but instead I agreed with him. I expected him to leave at that point, most kids would. But instead, he sat next to me, which was surprising. "Let me see," he commanded. I tried to hide my hand from him, so he grabbed my arm softly and forced my injured hand before his eyes. The redness probably returned to my face from embarrassment. Boys at that age were always worried about girl's cooties or some other stupid thing. But this boy was different, as I thought.

I winced as he moved it, causing a sharp pain. He didn't say sorry, like I expected; instead, he continued looking at it. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out an old-looking white cloth. I wasn't sure what it was. "What is that?" I questioned quietly, hoping that he didn't hear. But of course, he did. "It's a handkerchief. All gentlemen have them." He used it to bandage my scrape, it was soft and much better than Band-Aids, I thought so anyway. "I'm sorry I don't have another for your leg." I shook my head and said, "It's okay." I then felt the tears finally give way from my eyes. I wiped them quickly, hoping that he didn't notice. "You didn't have to do that, but thanks," I said, choking a little bit and upset with myself because I was crying. He then gave me a smile and said, "I am a gentleman, of course I did. I didn't introduce myself, I am Oswald Kapelput, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I could tell that his smile was forced, much like the one that I used when I wanted to hide my feelings. But it made me happy anyway and smiled back, "I'm Felicity James, it's nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2

_A few months later_

After that meeting, Oswald and I became friends. He was much different from any other kid that I had ever met, and that was okay with me. Of course, we had to deal with the teasing and bullying of the other students, but at least our friendship was stronger than that. Eventually, the other kids started ignoring us, seeing that we were ignoring them first. After this, school life became much better. I asked Oswald one day, "Can I give you a nickname? I heard this name before and thought that it would be a good one." He looked at me in surprise "what's wrong with my name?" "Nothing," I said, "but friends often have nicknames for each other. I promise it isn't a bad one." After thinking about it, he said, "what is it?" I smiled and replied, "Ozzie." He winced a little, but after thinking and looking at my happy face, he smiled back, "Okay, it is better than what I'm used to." I clapped my hands and said, "Okay, you can give me one too!" This scared me a little bit since I was expecting something like Dummy or Stupid. That's what I was used to from other kids. "I'll think about it," he said as the bell rang for the next period, "I'll tell you later."

At the end of that day, Ozzie and I met at the bottom of the front stairs of the school. We would always wait for our parents to pick us up at the end of the day. They were usually later than most of the other parents. He had his hands propping his head up as he sat on the bottom stairs. I greeted him and sat down next to him. At first, he didn't look at me, and I was worried that I made him mad. "Oswald? Are you mad at me?" After a moment of silence; I felt my voice get tight. He still didn't look at me, and I was sure that he was upset with the new nickname. "I'm sorry! I won't call you Ozzie, I promise, please don't be mad!" I could feel the tears falling down my face and I waited for the worst. Oswald looked at me and smiled, "I'm not mad," he laughed, "I was just thinking about _your_ nickname. I want it to be good as mine." I was shocked and didn't know what to say; but sweet relief washed over me. Ozzie was my best friend in the world and the last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt him. I laughed in relief as I started wiping my face. He handed me the same handkerchief from months ago and said, "Calm down, will you? You cry so easily." This was true, which is why I always fight my tears with most people. My heart would spill over, so I always tried to keep it locked tight; like a treasure chest. But with Oswald, I could be myself. He finally said, "How about Fee? Does that sound too silly?" I shook my head and grinned, "It's perfect, Ozzie!" We laughed together as the world kept moving around us. I hoped that this friendship would last forever.

_Five years later_

_Gotham Intermediate School_

"What do you mean?!" Ozzie yelled.

We were now in middle school, our normal spot to meet was at the outside bench beside the tennis court. There was no one around us to disturb our conversation. My eyes were again filled with tears as I gave him the terrible news. My family was moving away from Gotham. My heart sank at the news. Again, would I have to start over and leave behind the friends that I had made. But I wasn't allowed to be ungrateful. I didn't yell at my parents, slam the door of my room, or wail and weep loudly the night before. I simply lay on my bed and wept quietly all night. No doubt my eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep and from crying. This was the moment I was dreading most last night. I thought about not telling him until the day of the move, to save him the grief, but I couldn't do that to my best friend. As painful as this was, it would be worse if I deceived him.

Ozzie started pacing, he rubbed his head repeatedly and shook his head. I didn't know what I could say to make the situation better. I just concentrated on my breathing, trying to keep myself together. I thought that showing my pain would make things worse. Suddenly, he grabbed my arms and shook me. "Why would you leave?! Why would you leave me Fee?! Don't you care?! Where are your tears now?!" Despite my belief that my tears had run dry, they flowed freely now. Ozzie stopped shaking me, but he kept his tight grip on my arms and looked at me with hurt in his eyes. "I'm..I'm so sorry.." I managed to get out as my emotions once again took over. My head lowered in shame, so close to his chest that it rested on his tie. I lifted my hands to cover my face, and I was close to dropping to the ground. "No!" he said through clenched teeth and he kept his hold on me, keeping me from falling. "Look at me!" he breathed through clenched teeth. I complied and saw his eyes burying themselves in mine, seeming to look at my very soul. That is something that Oswald Cobblepot was able to do better than any other person I knew, he was able to see others' weaknesses. I pretended that I didn't know what he did to other students when they were rude or cruel to me. There were several instances of students being pranked with their worst fears. A girl with her questionable pictures plastered over the hallways, a boy with his clothes slashed, and more. Part of me was terrified of him, but I knew that if I didn't hurt him, I was safe.

But that was no longer the case. As he searched my face, seemingly to see how he could retaliate, I fought his gaze. I couldn't look into his eyes, I felt exposed and vulnerable when he looked at me. But it was no use, holding me, I had nowhere to go. After what seemed forever, he finally released me. I fell to my knees and held my face, waiting for him to yell at me more or kick me or something. But nothing came. I finally stopped crying and looked up at him. He was looking down at me with a different look than I expected. I expected rage, but instead I saw that fake smile that I hated most. The one that I myself was cursed with, the face hiding my heart and pacifying those around me. Leaving me alone. I didn't want him to be alone. "Ozzie…" I whispered as I reached toward him, but he backed away from my touch. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie from my earlier touch. "Ozzie…" I again whispered. _This is my last chance_, I thought, _I can't leave things like this_. "I don't want to leave. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'll do without you." After a moment of silence, he replied. "Oh Fee," he said with that sarcastic tone that he used to weasel his way out of trouble so many times before, "You'll be fine. You have a good head on your shoulders."

This was it, the retaliation. He knew what would hurt me the most. Confirming what I already knew about myself. Every day I saw it in the mirror, my ugly face and my worthlessness. No one knew the truth, but I did. Most people have a few flaws but have some redeeming qualities that make them valuable in this world. But I couldn't see anything to redeem my inadequacies. I couldn't hide the fact that I was a failure. So, I focus on others, hoping to distract me from myself and this is where I found my joy in life. Most would consider myself to be suicidal, as much as I hated myself, but my life wasn't mine to take. That was God's choice, not mine.

Moments passed like hours as I waited for Oswald to use his talents to abuse me further. He has insulted my intelligence so far, next would be my looks or my personality. He offered me his hand to lift me from the ground; I took it but lowered my gaze to the ground from which I came. He lifted my chin with his hand. "I'll never forget you," he whispered, "will you write?" I nodded and whispered, "I promise." He then kissed my cheek, this shocked me. I was expecting him to hit me, or push me away, but instead he gave me his genuine smile with pain in his eyes. I couldn't hold back anymore, I embraced him. After a moment, he hugged me back.


	3. Chapter 3

_Present_

_Gotham Train Station_

As I got off the train, I had to fight to not get knocked over by the flood of people headed into the station. But despite this, I was so glad to be back in Gotham. I felt like I had reached my haven, a ship that has returned to port. It had been a long several years, my family was happy and healthy but with adulthood comes departures. Despite my parents plead to let me stay with them till I found a husband, I had a job offer back in Gotham. My brother has long since been gone to Metropolis and has been doing well there. So, I was going to continue my career back in the same school that I had first attended when arriving in Gotham as a child. This wasn't my first job, but this was a new beginning.

As I rode in the taxi that was taking me to my new home, I saw my reflection in the window. The new scar on my face was showing and I adjusted my now medium-length hair to hide it. This new feature on the canvas of my face was given to me courtesy of my ex fiancé. This was the last straw in our rocky relationship. Unfortunately, my low self-esteem left me vulnerable to abusive men, eager to use me for their own satisfaction. Normally I could see their true selves after the first date, so I wouldn't see them again. But Ethan, he was talented at hiding his true personality. It was an entire year before his anger truly started to show. I forgave him, since I thought that was the Christian thing to do, after the first flare-up. But he couldn't control himself for long. I had said something that annoyed him while he was cooking, and he sliced my face. Of course, it was an accident in his eyes, but I knew that if he couldn't control himself that he would hurt me worse in the future. So, I broke off the engagement by reporting him to the police.

That was a couple of months ago, so my scar had settled into my face. My mom tried to get me to use different products to keep the scar from forming. And for the most part it had faded, I didn't receive questions or comments anymore. But of course, I could see it like a constellation in the night sky. After covering it with my hair, I thought again about the thing I was excited about the most, seeing Ozzie again. Well, I hoped that I would see him again. Despite writing every week, I hadn't received a response from him since high school graduation. The letters just suddenly stopped coming, and he never gave me his phone number. The good news is that his last name was unusual so I assumed that I could find it in the phone book So, with that to look forward to, I continued the small talk that the taxi driver initiated till we arrived.

_A week later_

There were still boxes all over the apartment, but I was making progress at least. The apartment was a small, only a single room with a bathroom that looked like it belonged in a horror video game. But it was what I could afford as a teacher. Despite my surroundings, things were looking bright in my eyes. I finally sat down to the computer to look up Ozzie's phone number, but alas, it wasn't there. I sighed in disappointment. I thought about seeking him out and seeing if he was still at the address that I was writing to for so many years. I decided to do so, but I had to wait until the weekend. Also, I didn't want to be out on the streets at night by myself, so I would do all my errands and shopping during the weekend. I never took the self-defense courses that I wanted to before, so I didn't know the way to defend myself. And from what I saw on my ride to the apartment, Gotham wasn't as safe as I remembered.

_A few days later_

It was finally the weekend. I felt the same nervous sweat as so many years ago when I first arrived at Gotham Elementary as I climbed the stairs of the apartment building that hopefully was Ozzie's address. A loaf of cinnamon bread was in my hands as a consolation for my unannounced visit. My mind was racing, going back and forth between excited expectation and reluctance to take this chance. What would he say? What will he do? Will he even remember me? Not that I thought his memory bad, but surely, he has met more interesting people over the years that would be more welcome to his thoughts. Maybe he has found love, has a family, or maybe he was struggling to make ends meet like me. The most I could hope for was to exchange our contact information so that we could stay in touch and rekindle our friendship. The hallway that I reached was dimly lit with lights reminding me of streetlamps. The green wallpaper provided a tunnel like a canopy in the forest but smelled like years of neglect. I could hear the city train in the distance, and it accompanied me to the door with the number that I had written on so many envelopes over the years. My nerves caused my hand to freeze in front of the wooden barrier. It was if I had forgotten my mission, my reason for being here. A door nearby opened, and a man came out. He saw me standing there, asked if there was something, he could help me with; I asked if this was the Kapelput residence and he nodded. After I thanked him, he shook his head and retreated into his apartment.

Now that I had this information, I could leave and come back another day if I wanted. After all, this is a strange thing, a person that you haven't seen in 15 years suddenly shows up at your home, uninvited? How absurd! My feet tried to drag me away from the door, but my heart stopped them from proceeding. _I have to know….does Ozzie want to see me again? How can I know unless I ask, right? Come on Felicity! It's now or never!_ My knuckle tapped on the door sharply. Now all there was to do was to wait.

After a couple of minutes, I heard carpeted footsteps walking toward the door and after unlocking the locks, the door opened. I saw before me an older woman with old makeup on her face and long pale blond hair cascading from her head in long curled locks. She wore an old-fashioned bathrobe that draped on the floor and was lined with fur. She looked at me with a look of distain and suspicion. "Who are you?" the woman snapped with a thick accent. This is when I knew that it was the right place. I remembered that Ozzie's mother had a thick accent that didn't pass to her son. I remembered that she also wore clothing in the style of old English aristocrats, which also explained Ozzie's choice in clothing as a child. Once she allowed me to look through her closet to see her beautiful dresses.

After a moment of scrutiny on her part, I smiled and said, "Mrs. Kapelput? I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Felicity James, Oswald's friend?" I didn't want to use Ozzie's nickname in front of her, he gave the impression that she would not appreciate her son's given name to be changed. "Felicity?" she seemed to be wracking her brain to remember the name. "I used to write to Oswald every week," I reminded gently. I didn't expect to be remembered right away; it had been around 10 years since I received the last letter from Ozzie after all. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed, "the girl that my darling Oswald used to write to! So many letters!" A moment of silence passed, and I said, "It's wonderful to see you Mrs. Kapelput." It was then that I was hit with the stench from inside the apartment. It was old and moldy, smelling like an old basement that had flooded a few times mixed with a musty and overwhelming perfume. I fought to keep my pleasant countenance; I didn't want to insult my friend's mother or Ozzie for that matter.

I gave Mrs. Kapelput the bread, she smiled and put it on the table that must have been on the side of the doorway. "I hope you enjoy it. I wasn't sure what kind you like." She hesitated, like she was debating on whether to invite me inside or not, but I wasn't expecting it. "I'm so sorry to surprise you like this Mrs. Kapelput, but I was hoping to see Oswald. You see I…" "Oh no! You can't see him!" I paused a moment, taken aback by the woman's statement. "But Mrs. Kapelput…" "No, no, no… I told Oswald a long time ago that she was not worth his notice! Such a plain and stupid girl!" She seemed to be talking to herself at this point, her inner thoughts coming to light. She wasn't even looking at me anymore. "My darling Oswald will never leave me, never leave me for that stupid girl. No! He will always be my darling boy! I even heard him say, I never want to see her again! Who needs her?!" After a pause, she glared at me with anger in her eyes. "Go away! And don't ever come back!" and the door slammed in my face.


	4. Chapter 4

_Three days later_

_Gotham Elementary School_

The children were quite the handful today. I couldn't believe how much anger and neglect was apparent in their little faces. So often I called DCS, and so often nothing was done. The school was short staffed with teachers that didn't have any care about their job and administrators that cared more about their pay and the budget than the wellbeing of the school. I was certain that teachers were bribed for their children's grades and that there were improper relations going on in spades. Many times, I have been discouraged and wanted to quit, but occasionally I would see a spark in a child's eyes. A smile, a thank you, and a laugh were all that I needed to keep me motivated. To be honest, after the incident at Mrs. Cobblepot's apartment, I was tempted to give up and return to my parents. But then I told myself that I didn't just come here to see Ozzie, but also to make a difference in the city. My old home had gone to Hell, and I wanted to try to help pull it out, one soul at a time.

Once the last of the kids left my room for the day, I gathered my work and left as well. I wasn't comfortable with staying after school yet, since it is late fall and the sun sets sooner than before. I did invest in pepper spray and I signed up for a self-defense class starting next week, so in the meantime, I wanted to get home before dark. The good news, I guess, is that I didn't dress like someone worthy of mugging or harassing. Though I wore professional clothes to work, I would bring a change of comfortable clothes for the walk and bus ride home. My old sneakers walked on the pavement and my old clothes were barely worth notice. On my route I had to ignore the homeless people, though it broke my heart. I barely had enough money to afford my rent and my groceries. And I wouldn't be paid again till three weeks later. I kept walking, almost reaching my apartment when a car pulled up to the building next door to mine, a restaurant called Bamonte's Restaurant. I heard that mobsters owned that restaurant so I avoided it the best I could. Not that I could afford a meal there anyway. The dark car's door opened and suddenly I saw a man get out awkwardly. He wasn't tall and was very thin, his hair was as dark as onyx and styled to impress. In that moment, I realized that it was Ozzie! _But what happened? Why does he have a limp?_ His suit was expensive looking and was custom tailored to his thin frame. Despite his limp, he was walking with determination into the building, like he had important business. I was about to call out, but then I remembered what his mother said and stayed silent.

He disappeared in the restaurant, and I was left with a feeling of missed opportunity in my core. As I wrestled with whether I should go after him or not, I didn't notice that the darkness of night was quickly taking over the city. But the streetlights flickered on and I realized that I needed to get to the safety of my apartment before someone took advantage of my distraction. I ran up the stairs till I reached my door, and quickly went inside. There in my room, I wrestled with my thoughts and deliberated whether to try to find him again or not. Then, I decided just to send another letter, just like old times. Now that I knew for certain that the letters were going to the right place, I decided to try one last time. This time, my address will be different, so maybe he'll read it. I won't put my name on the envelope, just in case. So, I sat on my uncomfortable bed, and began writing on my stationary, using one of my textbooks as a surface. Before I knew it, I had a pile of rejected letter drafts crumpled around me. _Come on Fee…_I thought, _this is your chance, just go for it!_

_A couple of days later_

_Oh great…_ I thought as I stepped outside of the school, _I forgot my umbrella_. The rain was steady and showed no sign of slowing. I debated in my head as I took shelter under the school's entrance whether to call a taxi, or just rough it. The first option wasn't possible since I didn't have the money and the second would take too long; so, I decided to just rough it and run to the bus stop. It's about three blocks from the school. Normally it isn't that big of a deal, but in this downpour it would be. Someone may have had an extra umbrella in the school, but I have always hated to ask for favors or to borrow things. I didn't trust myself to remember to bring it back and to return the favor. So, there was nothing left but to get started running. Unfortunately, I also had papers that I had to protect on the way, so I then thought again of my options, when a dark car pulled up in front of the school. I wouldn't have really paid attention except that it was after all the children had left, so I thought it was odd that a parent would be coming at this time of day.

I watched as the car turned off and the back door opened toward me. I thought that I would see if I could help whoever was coming in, so I waited as they opened an umbrella to protect their head from the elements. Suddenly, I recognized the person in front of me, it was Ozzie! Overcome with emotion, I dropped my papers and ran to him. I must have almost knocked him over because he stepped back, almost losing his balance, but I didn't care. I embraced him, laughing with abandon, just like long lost relatives finally meeting again. I whispered, "Oh Ozzie," with excited breathing next to his ear. But after couple of moments I realized what I was doing; what his mother said. Embarrassed, I stepped back apologizing while trying to fix my hair unconsciously in vain due to the rain. I felt the cold water on my head when I left the protection of his umbrella, but that was short lived. He reached out and pulled me close again to make sure that I was under his protection. "Hang on, why don't we talk in the car and out of this rain?" he said as he smiled at me.


	5. Chapter 5

I convinced Ozzie to come with me back inside the building since I couldn't leave my papers to get blown away. As we entered, my nerves and the chill made me start shivering. Ozzie laughed as he said, "That's what happens when you run in the rain without an umbrella. What were you thinking?" He took off his coat and offered it to me. "Th…thanks." I stuttered as I fought to not let my teeth chatter. I put on his coat, it smelled nice, but had a small hint of the musty smell from his mother's apartment. Now that the moment of reunion was over, I wasn't sure how to begin. "W…Why don't w..we go to the of..fice? It's over h..here." I continued.

The lights were off in the main office except for the emergency lights, so we could still see each other. Ozzie saw a coat rack and hanged his bowler hat on it. There was a couple of chairs with a small table between them. He took one seat and took off his leather gloves, placing them on the table; while I took the chair on the opposite side. After a second of awkward silence, I rushed to say, "Thank you so much for coming to see me. I didn't know if I was being a nuisance, I…" My body had finally warmed up enough to speak normally.

"Of course not," he interrupted, with his fake smile. I didn't read that as him hiding a lie, because it had been so many years, he could have just gotten used to using it. "I myself am sorry for not responding to your letters. Mother must have misplaced them, I thought you had stopped corresponding, so I didn't bother to write again." That was a lie, no doubt. After my visit with his mother, I knew that she didn't want her son associating with me. She probably just threw the letters out. Part of me was angry with her, another part of my understood that she just didn't want her son to waste his time with someone like me. I forgave her, though it still hurt.

"So," I started, "How are you? Last I heard from you was in high school. You look great!" I meant it; he was wearing another impressive suit that was well matching to his physique. His jacket's lapels had a subtle basket weave pattern that added interest and a silk turquoise handkerchief in his pocket. It brought an air of showmanship to his person, obviously adding to his self-confidence. His face beamed as he replied, "I'm doing well, I have just opened a new club!" he reached into his suit jacket to retrieve a card and handed it to me. It was black with one word written in beautiful writing 'Oswald's'. "Oh Ozzie! Congratulations!" His true smile finally came out as he said, "Yeah, I'm sorry that you missed the grand opening, it was a crazy night," he laughed nervously, and I could tell that he was stretching the truth. But I wasn't here to question him about something that he would rather not talk about.

"I'm sorry I missed it too. And I'm sorry for not coming to see you in person…"

"You have nothing to apologize for." His pale blue eyes flashed an annoyance that I hadn't seen in a long time. "You've just arrived, right? Y..you needed time to settle in after all."

"Yeah, I just arrived last week, but you already read that in the letter, didn't you?"

He nodded his head and looked down for a moment. "Fee…"

I smiled, although he said it earlier, I was still happy to hear my childhood nickname used again. It brought back so many happy memories. I chose to stifle the memories that were more troubling. I thought that now that we are both adults, I can take care of myself. Especially after my ex. He continued, "I…am so sorry, about what Mother said to you. She's been struggling the past few years…"

"Please don't worry about it," I said, "I'm sure that she was surprised to see someone that she didn't recognize…"

"No," he interrupted, "about what she told you about me. She told me what she said. I want you to know," he grabbed my hand, gently, "I was just upset when I didn't hear from you in so long. She must have overheard me and thought that I was serious. But I have missed you, and I thought that you just stopped writing."

Unconsciously, I shook my head in disagreement. "Ozzie, you're still my best friend. Who else would I talk to about life?" I laughed a little. He smiled and laughed as well.

We continued to talk for a while, and he told me that he had changed his name from Kapleput to Cobblepot. This surprised me since I always thought his name was interesting, but that was ultimately his decision. We continued our conversation when he was interrupted by a phone call. After that, he made his apologies. There was urgent business that he had to attend to. He asked if he could give me a ride. Of course, I agreed; grateful for a way home without running in the cold rain. As we approached the car, I suddenly remembered that Ozzie wasn't driving. He had a driver, which meant that he must be doing well financially. This was strange for me. I was used to a taxi, not a private chauffeured car. The driver was smoking and leaning against the side of the building when we exited the school. He put out his cigarette and grabbed his umbrella to beat us to the car. He opened the door for me and closed the door after me. Ozzie talked to the driver for a minute in hushed tones. Then Ozzie limped to the opposite door and got in. The driver started the car, and we were on our way. "Wow," I breathed, "This is nice."

"Yeah," he said, slightly embarrassed, but mostly proud. "It's been a long road, but I'm on my way." I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

We reached my apartment before too long, and then it was time to leave. I started to say his name, "Oz.." but he quickly silenced me by using a finger to his lips. "Sorry, but can you not use my nickname in front of my associates? It seems unprofessional…"

"Oh, ok…" my face became red with embarrassment, clearing my throat I said, "Oswald, thank you for the ride. Can we meet again soon to catch up?"

"Yes, of course. You can come to my club anytime. The drinks will be on the house of course," he laughed in delight at the prospect. "I look forward to seeing it. But don't worry about the drinks, I'll pay. I should support your business, after all!" His eyes flashed slight annoyance, but then he seemed to remember who he was talking to, and he smiled. "Very well. Is this the right address?" he looked out of my window and seemed genuinely confused, which confused me in turn. "Yes, I live next to the restaurant that you visited the other day." He snapped his head in my direction seemingly in a panic. "Yeah," I continued, "I meant to get your attention, but before I knew it you were already inside."

"Oh," he cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing, "do…you go to that restaurant?"

"No, I haven't had a chance yet."

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand tightly. His gaze met mine as he desperately said, "Don't go there!" I noticed that the driver looked in the rearview mirror and raised an eyebrow, but I refocused on Ozzie before answering, "Why? What's wrong? I know there's a rumor that it's owned by some dangerous people. Is that true? If so, why were you there?"

This caught him off guard, and he struggled to find an answer for just a moment. He then put his fake smile on his face and said, "Oh, I was just stopping for dinner. I had my bodyguard with me, so I was perfectly safe. But I don't think it's safe for you to go alone."

I did agree with him on that point but suspected that the rest of his story wasn't true. But I didn't want to start an argument when we just reunited, so I let it go. "Also," he said, relaxing back into his seat, "I'm surprised that you live in this part of the city. It's not exactly the safest part of Gotham."

The blood again rushed to my face. It's been a long time since I've been so emotional in one day. I hesitated to admit that this was the only place that I could afford on my salary. Ozzie's eyes widened in realization and horror at realizing his error. "Oh Fee…."

"Don't worry about me," I said, nervously sweeping my hair back, "It's not too bad at all. I'm okay, really…" Ozzie suddenly gasped. This made me jump and I said, "What? What is it?" I was looking around to see if something happened outside the car, but he touched my chin and brought it in front of his face. He then tilted my chin so that he could see my scar more clearly. It was a line from the left side of my eye down to the bottom of my ear. Luckily my eye wasn't cut by the knife, and it was easy to hide with my hair. But I forgot.

"Oh!" I blurted out, "It's just an accident that happened a while ago, you know how clumsy I could be sometimes, don't worry about it!" My heated face escaped his grasp and I said in a hurried voice, "Well, thanks again and I'll come to your restaurant on Saturday evening okay? I'll be there at 7! Thanks again for the ride and I'll see you then Oswald!" I ran out of the car and didn't stop till I was outside my door and fumbled with my keys to get them in the door. Fortunately, I didn't forget my papers in the car, otherwise I would have had to go back down. I hid my face in my hands, wishing they could erase not only the scar, but my memories of its origin.


	6. Chapter 6

_Saturday night_

_Felicity's Apartment_

_Why am I so nervous?_ Came through my mind as I looked at my closet. The reunion with Ozzie went so well, so I shouldn't have been nervous. But the fact that I went through my entire wardrobe trying to find the right outfit for the evening was enough evidence. I didn't know if the club was more formal or more casual. I didn't know what to do, I've never been to a club! But I needed to decide on something, or I would be late. Fortunately, I had just enough money for a taxi both ways. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough money for drinks. But I could make the excuse that I didn't want any and just stick to water. I couldn't ask Ozzie to lose money to cater to me. I hated that I ended up lying to Ozzie, but I couldn't bring myself to admit that I wouldn't be having drinks. He also knew that I was religious so maybe that could be another excuse. I don't have an issue with people drinking socially, but I just never had a desire to try it.

I finally decided on a nicer dress that I have owned for several years. I normally wore it to concerts, it was black, but I felt comfortable in it and I thought that it looked nice. The sleeves were elbow-length, but very billowy and flowed like skirts, which matched the bottom of the dress nicely. I wore a bracelet that my brother, Ryan, gave me for my birthday and a necklace that my parents gave me when I turned 16. Neither of them looked expensive, so I wasn't worried. I put on my flat shoes, having given up on heels years ago, and grabbed my purse. Fortunately, I remembered that the weather was cold, so I also put on my winter coat. I wished that I had a nicer one for more formal occasions, but the parka that I had was all I had for this kind of weather. I got down to the stoop and looked to see if a taxi was close by. As I searched the street from the sidewalk, I noticed some men exiting the restaurant, but I was not trying to look too long. All of them were wearing suits, much like the stereotypical mobsters that I saw in a movie or two. One of them walked toward me casually and said, "Excuse me miss?" I couldn't bring myself to be rude, so I answered, "Yes?" Meanwhile I was reaching into my purse, ready to grab my keys so I could run back to my apartment if I had to.

The older man had slick, dark hair that was away from his forehead and a thick, powerful physique. He wasn't much taller than me, but he carried himself like he was 6'5 and had a powerful physique. He came within two arms' length of myself and he continued, "Good evening, I am Salvatore Maroni. And this," he gestured to the restaurant, "is my establishment. I hope that you will stop by and try one of our famous dishes." Although he had an air of genuine hospitality, I couldn't help but see his friends watching me with knowing smiles and gestures. "I will, thank you Mr. Maroni," I gave him one of my polite smiles but continued to gesture for a taxi.

Sal continued, "I couldn't help but notice that you live next to the restaurant, isn't that right?" It was then that I was truly scared. I didn't have enough time to respond when he continued, "Yes, I've seen you coming in and out," he made a gesture with his hand left to right to accentuate what he was saying, "As a neighbor, I'll be sure that you are given the best service! Won't you join us tonight?" Panic started to emerge from my core, since I remembered my promise to Ozzie and knew that I had to get out of there. "I..I'm sorry but I have a previous engagement," in my head I was screaming for a taxi, but all I could do was wave my hand foolishly in front of what I would assume was the boss of a crime family. "Oh," he said with a fake disappointment, "would that be at Oswald's?" I snapped my head in his direction, my eyes wide and my mouth slightly open in surprise. His face was that of smug confidence, "So I was right…" he took a step toward me and said in a low tone, "Are you, uh, one of his girls?" he asked. Heat rapidly gathered on my face, causing a blush. I cursed my emotions. "No," I said, "I'm just meeting my girlfriend there, we heard that there was a new club and wanted to try it," I lied. I couldn't tell if he bought my lie or not, but he didn't press me any further. Suddenly he lifted his hand and made the loudest whistle that I have ever heard a person make. It made my ears ring and I had to wince and cover them. A taxi finally stopped in front of me. I thanked him quietly and reached for the door handle. But, his hand was quicker than mine and opened the door first. His face was next to my ear when he said, "Make sure to tell Penguin that I said hello and I look forward to having you over for dinner." I quickly made my escape into the taxi, and I saw the men laughing as the taxi pulled away. Salvador Maroni winked at me when we made eye contact, making me shudder.

My heart was still pounding while sitting in the back of the taxi as it drove through the city. My head was swimming with memory and planning. _Should I tell Ozzie? What would I say? If I do, he may do something dumb. No, I can't tell him; I can handle it. I'll just make sure to never linger in front of the restaurant again, always come and go; always lock my door, lock the windows, keep the curtain drawn, keep my music low. _I hated having the feeling that I had to hide in my own home, but I couldn't let them think of me to get to Ozzie. After a while, I finally felt the taxi pulling over. I looked up and saw a purple glow coming from the window. The source of the glow as a neon sign shaped like an umbrella. I smiled at the image, since it reminded of our reunion just a few days before. I paid the taxi driver and exited the car. I was expecting a long line of people waiting to get in, but I didn't see anyone. This made me wonder if I had the right place and I asked the driver to wait a moment. I tried the door and it was open, so I waved to the driver and thanked him again. He muttered something in a different language and drove off. I took a deep breath and walked in.


	7. Chapter 7

I was expecting to hear a lot of noise with a club. Though I had never been to one, I was told that there should be dancing and a lot of people talking and drinking. So, I was very confused to hear nothing but music as I opened a second door. It was a soothing piano and a man's voice singing what sounded like something that Frank Sinatra would have sung. His lilting voice brought me visions of the 1920's; pinstripe suits, fedora hats, women in flashy flapper dresses with feathers in their hair. As I walked forward, I noticed a large man dressed in black, with his arms in front of him and his legs slightly apart like a soldier at ease. As I approached, he looked at me with scrutiny, this caused me to fumble with my words a little. "I…I'm here to see… O..Oswald Cobblepot?" He nodded and stepped aside to allow me to pass. With a deep gruff voice, he asked for my coat. I thanked him and complied with his request.

My footsteps caused the wood beneath me to periodically groan and squeak. As I continued forward, the lights from the club became brighter, and yet remained low. The voice that I heard was echoing in an open space, which I saw as I rounded the corner. On my left was an old fashioned looking bar, a man was wiping the counter top with a rag while wearing what reminded me of a theater attendant. His red jacket was lined with bright gold and had a large epaulet on each of his shoulders. He wore a small black bow tie with a white dress shirt. He noticed me coming in and gave me a reassuring smile, which gave me a little more encouragement to keep going. Behind the bar tender was a long cabinet lined with bottles of countless shapes, sizes, and colors. The shelves were brightly lit, but the lights did little to the large, open room. I noticed small purple umbrellas acted as lamp shades on the left side of the bar, reflecting not only the neon sign of the outside window but also the matching neon sign at the end of the room behind the performers on a small stage.

As I slowly walked toward the stage, I looked around and saw the second story with a white railing that reminded me of a western movie's tavern and yet was elegant like the veranda of a southern belle's manor house. There were warm lights lining the entirety of the space dividing the first from the second floor. I followed these lights further into what looked like a restaurant area, with the small tables with a tiny violet lamp on each one. Instead of sitting, I decided to stand next to a column that divided the bar area from the table area. The blond man standing on stage, singing into the old-fashioned microphone on a stand wore what looked like a generic black suit that would be seen on a groom at a wedding. There was nothing unusual about his appearance, but that wasn't what captivated my attention. He noticed my presence for a moment but didn't really care and continued his song.

Suddenly a loud voice rang through the air, "There she is!", causing me to jump more than expected and turn around. This surprise caused my nerves to reignite from the events before I got in the taxi with Maroni. But I fought my urge to tremble as I saw my friend limping toward me with another large man behind him. As they walked in front of the bar, the large man sat at one of the benches. Before reaching me, he went to the bar and told the bar keeper to "Bring out the champagne!" I wanted to decline, but I didn't want to ruin his excitement. As the bar keeper complied with the order, I took a moment to examine Ozzie's appearance. He again was dressed to impress with a black suit obviously tailored made to his frail frame but had notable details on it. His crisp white shirt that starkly contrasted with the suit and the large cuff links at his wrists. He wore an unusual tie that was held together with a silver pin like an X. His vest was black with think pink and blue lines swirling subtly and a bright turquoise silk handkerchief in his jacket pocket. I was glad that I wore a dress, so I didn't look like a fool compared to him.

The bartender placed two small glasses in front of Ozzie and filled them from a champagne bottle that again reminded me of a wedding. The golden liquid bubbled in their glasses and further reminded me of a movie I saw that took place in the 1920's. I stood next to Ozzie and watched as he picked up the glasses and offered me one of them, and I took it. I didn't know how I was going to be able to pay him back for this drink, since I remembered that I only planned on drinking water to save the money that I had in my purse. But again, I didn't want to be rude to him and was grateful that I brought some of my grocery money with me, just in case. In my mind, I made a mental note to buy less groceries this week.

"Welcome to Oswald's!" he said with a grin on his face, holding his glass forward to toast. My glass clinked with his and he quickly drank the entire glass. Instead of mirroring him, I decided to be economical and just take a tiny sip. After he let out a cleansing sigh, I saw a genuine gleam of pride in his eyes and smile. My heart was uplifted at his joy and I hoped that it would continue to last. I smiled at him and said, "It's absolutely beautiful, Oswald!" as I looked around. "Yeah," he replied with pride in his voice, "I wanted you to see it in all of it's glory. That's why I closed it for the evening." Something in the situation told me that he wasn't exactly telling the truth. _But what do I know about running a business like this? He's probably doing so well that he doesn't have to worry about losing profits._

"Fee…" he said in a serious tone as I heard his glass clink on the countertop next to us. I turned my attention back to my friend and waited for him to continue, instead he took his hand and reached toward my face. This took me by surprise and I unconsciously moved my head away from his hand for just a moment. He paused, waiting for me to be still again. His face was that of determination as his fingers reached my left cheek. He moved his fingers to uncover my scar from my hair. Immediately, I felt blood rush to my face, and I held my breath. I hoped that the low lighting would hide my blush but knew that the lights from the bar wouldn't let that happen. I quickly moved away from his touch and tried to cover up the situation by again making excuses, but he quickly interrupted me by raising his hand and quickly saying, "Fee, will you please just…stop? Don't lie to me."

I decided to ignore his rudeness and stop talking. "What happened, really?" He said with a voice more suited to a father catching his daughter in a lie. My eyes met his serious gaze, as much as I didn't want to tell him; I surrendered and told him the story. As my words continued, his face changed from open reception, to concern, to rage. I tried to adjust my story to pacify him, but he didn't seem too receptive to my efforts. Finally, I finished my story and again repeated, "But I'm okay, I moved back here, and he won't find me. I've moved on, really." Ozzie froze in his anger for a moment, then gave his fake smile. "Yes," he snapped in a sarcastic tone, "he won't find you." Red flags went off in my head, I remember him using this same tone just before those awful pranks happened in school so many years ago. "Ozzie," I said softly so that only he would hear, "Please, don't do anything to him okay? He's not worth it. And I've already filed a complaint against him with the police in my old city. I've exposed him as an abuser to keep him from hurting anyone else, and that's enough for me okay?"

As I pleaded, he seemed to allow my words to flow from one ear and out the other. I knew that he was calculating in his head and I put my glass on the bar to free my hands. They grabbed his hands, causing him to snap out of his inner musings. He looked at my hands in surprise, and then looked into my eyes. I made sure that he saw that I was being serious. "Oswald Cobblepot," I began, "Promise me. Promise me that you will not touch my Ex." After the surprise in his face melted into that fake smile, he said while squeezing my hands and the releasing them. He took up his refilled glass and held it front of his face, "Oh Fee, how can I do that when you haven't given me his name?" "And I won't," I answered as he took another drink, "That way you won't go after him." This caused his face to change to one of vexation. "What makes you think that I would do anything to him? Are you assuming that I am a monster?"

"Ozzie, of course not." His gaze moved away from my face and he shook his head in disbelief. "Listen to me, "I continued, "I just want to move on. And if I knew that something happened to him, it would bring it all back again." He looked at me in disdain as I continued, "I'm sorry if I hurt you, that's the last thing I want to do." Despite my wishes, tears escaped my eyes. It wasn't due to the current moment, but the terror that I felt earlier that night with Maroni came rushing back to me without warning. The real threat of violence or something else came welling from my heart. I knew that he would misread my tears as a childish attempt to get him to comply, but I'm wasn't a child anymore. He gave me a condescending smile and said, "Okay, I promise, I will not do anything to him." I gave him my fake smile and said, "Thank you," but my hands started shaking and wouldn't stop. He turned his head in confusion, "Fee? What's going on? I just said I won't do anything, why are you shaking?" I didn't even realize that I lost my battle to not tremble in front of him. He placed his hands on my upper arms, trying to still them.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it," I tried desperately to save the moment by grabbing my glass and taking another sip, "I guess I'm a little cold." I said after gulping. I wiped my eyes with my free hand and took a step away from him and toward the stage, where the music continued. The man was singing a slow love ballad, one that I hadn't heard before. To calm myself, I tried to immerse myself in the music. It provided refuge from the world through the years, bringing me peace and joy unlike anything else. I heard Ozzie's uneven gait approach me from behind after a few minutes. When the steps reached me, I turned to face him. I noticed again his nice suit and admired the effort he put in his appearance. I told him so and he gave me his true smile. "So!" he said excitedly, "Would you like to dance?"


	8. Chapter 8

_Later that night_

The old saying of 'Time flies when you're having fun' was certainly true tonight. My feet were hurting, but I didn't care. We spent the evening catching up and dancing, making me forget all my worries and cares. But I didn't want to overstay my welcome, so I eventually told him that I needed to call a taxi. "Of course not! I'll take you home!" While Ozzie was talking to the large man from earlier, I was able to sneak a $10 bill that I was saving for the taxi ride to the bartender for the champagne. I noticed that the man spotted what I was doing, but I signaled to keep it secret by putting my finger in front of my lips. He nodded a little, apparently it didn't draw attention by Ozzie.

After we got our coats, we were in his car a few minutes later. We kept talking all the way to my apartment and once we reached the front of my stoop, my memory of the earlier confrontation with Maroni came rushing back. I didn't immediately leave the car and instead looked toward the restaurant to make sure the coast was clear. Ozzie noticed and asked, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," I said, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Oswald. I'm so glad that I found you again." He gave me a gentle smile and took my hand. "It was my pleasure; you don't know how happy you have made me. I look forward to seeing you again soon, Fee." He kissed my hand, causing heat to rise to my face. He noticed and chuckled. "I don't know if I'll ever get tired of seeing you blush." I smiled and said, "Good night." He snapped quickly, "Wait, let me walk you to your door."

A few minutes later we were at my door. Part of me was relieved that he came with me, another part was concerned that Maroni would see him. Even though the man never made a threat, I still heard alarm bells in my mind. I didn't want to take any chances. But, it was too late to turn back now. I fumbled for my keys in my purse and said, "Thank you again Ozzie." After finding the key, I unlocked my door. Now, I felt like the moment that is in countless romantic movies was playing out. In a second, I was debating on if I should see us as more than friends or not. This was the best night I had in a long time, so part of me wondered if I should reward him. But I was warned countless times in my childhood to be careful regarding men. Despite my past relationship with Ethan, I still wanted to be cautious.

I decided to give him a kiss on the cheek. And I did just that. I told him "Good night" again and went inside. I made sure to close the door softly to not give him the impression that I was glad to see him go, because I wasn't. Despite my earlier decision to take things slow, I wanted him to stay with me. My passion was knocking at the door of my heart, pleading to be let out. But I saw myself in my bedroom mirror when I went to change for bed. My scar seemed to glow, reminding me of my previous relationship. Although Ethan cut me by accident, his abuse was emotional long before that incident. Echoes of his cruel comments and his screaming profanity rang in my head. I tried to shove them to the back of my mind, where I tucked away most of my unpleasant thoughts and memories.

I was about to slip under the covers when I heard a knock at the front door. The clock on my nightstand said 1:00AM, further causing me to wonder _Who would be here at this time of night? _My old gray housecoat was nearby, and I put it on as I walked toward the door. There was a small card lying on the floor, obviously shoved under the door. I could see that the front of it was a business card for Bamonte's Restaurant. This caused my veins to chill and my feet froze in place. I didn't want to walk further until I was sure that no one was at the door. After a few moments, silence continued from the hallway and made me feel safe enough to proceed. I bent down to pick up the card, it was crimson with the restaurant's name on it. I flipped it to the back, and written there were the following words, "See you soon." And it was signed Salvadore. This caused me to drop the card like it was on fire.

_The next day_

_Rex's Gymnasium_

"Are you coming next week?" Nancy asked as we left the gym. We had just finished a self-defense course. Some of the students were veterans, I and a couple of others were brand new. The instructor was very effective in demonstrations and his sense of humor kept us relaxed while imagining terrible scenarios. I felt much more comfortable with protecting myself, but this would do little against guns. But I had to start somewhere. "I know I will!" I responded as I rubbed my sore wrists. Although we weren't encouraged to push ourselves, I still was a little too enthusiastic. "I hope that Mr. Kino will be okay," Maggie was blushing furiously, she had accidently kicked him too hard in the shin. All of us were teasing Maggie and then reassuring her when we reached the subway station. After a short ride, I reached my stop and said goodbye to my new classmates. I was going to make a stop at the grocery store on the way home since it was still daylight outside. After yesterday's festivities at Oswald's, I would have to be very selective of what I bought.

As I approached the store, there were several people on the sidewalk walking and minding their own business. Men, women, and children were all living their lives without any troubles or cares. One person, however, stood out from the rest. I saw a young man wearing a dark raincoat with long, dirty hair that was under a black taboggan. He seemed to be talking to himself and to be quite agitated; I decided to walk quickly and quietly past him as to not provoke him. I made a mental note to see about finding out any services available to the mentally ill, in case I could direct someone in the future. But for now, there wasn't anything that I could do for him. As much as I wanted to give him some money, I remembered that I barely had enough money for a small grocery trip. I started reaching in my purse to check my coupons that I brought, hoping to find some that would be useful in this specific store. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. Someone had grabbed my hair and unexpectedly snapped my head back. I was completely caught off guard and hit the pavement straight on my back. It knocked the wind right out of me and caused me to see stars. As I was on the ground, the young man that caught my attention earlier straddled my body and punched my face until I saw nothing but blackness.


	9. Chapter 9

_Gotham Medical Center_

An annoying beeping was causing a throbbing in my head. It made me want to turn it off so I could go back to sleep, like an annoying alarm clock. But then I realized that it was hard for me to move, my thoughts were foggy and slow. I tried to open my eyes, only my left one cooperated after an effort. I saw bright iridescent lights and ceiling tiles; the beeping was next to my head and I saw an IV next to the bed that I was lying in. I struggled to remember how I got here and what happened to me. I wanted to see if I could get up, but someone said, "Whoa, whoa, missy! What do you think you're doing?" A large African American man approached my bed. He was wearing dark blue scrubs and held a clipboard in his hand. He gently put his hand on my shoulder to keep me from getting up. "Ma'am, you are at the Gotham Medical Center, you were mugged. Can you tell me your name?"

My mouth felt swollen and barely allowed me to say my name. Even though I felt groggy, I was able to remember some important things. "Okay Ms. James, you've been beat up pretty badly and will need a little time to recover. Luckily, he didn't have a weapon, or you could have sustained more substantial injuries. He checked the IV bag and asked, "Do you feel any pain? Do you need more medication?" I shook my head the best I could and responded, "I would rather not have much medication at all, thank you, sir." I felt an annoyance that my speech was so slurred from my swollen mouth. "You don't? Are you sure?" I nodded, "I need to remember what happened and it's hard right now…" The more I spoke, the harder it was to understand my own words. The man smiled at me and said, "Okay, but you let us know if it's too much to bear okay? Do you have anyone that we need to call? Any family?" I took a second to decide whether to contact my family. Even though I didn't want to disrupt their lives, I knew that if the situation was reversed, I would be angry if they didn't call me right away. So, I slowly gave him my parents' names and their phone number. The nurse started to leave and I thanked him.

I decided to try to get some sleep to hopefully allow the medication to run its course and let me think more clearly when I woke up. After a nap, I found my thoughts to be sorting themselves, and pain became my new companion. Although it was substantial, I wanted to tolerate it rather than try to cover it up with meds. While I was alone, I tried to remember the face of the man that attacked me. I wanted to give the police an accurate description so that they could arrest him and prevent him from hurting others. I didn't have any anger toward him, but I knew that if he remained free on the street, that someone else could be injured or worse.

I could remember his clothes and his hair, but I didn't see his face. I struggled, and remembered that he was white, taller than me and very thin. But I couldn't remember any distinguishing features, no matter how hard I tried. I was getting very frustrated when a knock came to my door. The same nurse from when I first woke up came in and said, "Are you finally awake? It's been five hours, it's almost the end of my shift!" I could tell that he was trying to keep the mood light, and I attempted to smile. I could tell that my lip was cut, probably from my teeth when I was punched. "Alright Ms. James, there's an officer here to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?" I nodded and tried to lift myself to a sitting position. As he was about to leave, I said "May I have your name, sir?" He turned and smiled at me, pointing to a white board next to the door. It had the attending physician, nurse, and other people written there. "Thank you, Mr. Monroe," I said. He smiled again and said to me, "You just recover, okay? Then we'll get the son-of-a-bitch that attacked you."

After talking to the police officer, I felt more frustrated than ever. I couldn't give him much to go on and I knew it. It was a needle in a haystack, but I couldn't help more. The officer was obviously irritated with me; he kept trying to pry the memory out of me, but it was no use. He gave a large sigh as he returned his small notepad to his pocket. "Well, we'll do the best we can. Is there anyone that we should contact for you Miss? Family? Friends? Coworkers?" I suddenly realized that I needed to contact my principal to get a substitute till I could return to work. I gave the officer the name of the principal and my school. After he took out his notepad again and wrote the names down, I thanked him for his time. He left with a huff and said, "We'll do the best we can ma'am, but I won't lie to you; it'll be very difficult to find him. If you think of anything else at all, let us know, alright?"

After the officer left, I started crying. I think it was the combination of the attack; the frustration at my lack of memory, the fact that I was alone in a strange place with my belongings stolen, anger that I had taken that stupid class for nothing; everything came crashing down all at once. I was grateful for one thing, that I was able to let my tears flow without someone there to tell me to stop crying, it's a rare thing to happen. I just let all my emotions flow out of me without caring about anything else. The only thing missing was the chance to scream, but I couldn't do that and disturb others. It was enough that I could weep with abandon. After a while, I finally cried myself back to sleep.

_The next morning_

I woke up the next morning and felt like a large weight had finally been lifted from my soul. Nothing like a good cry to sooth the spirit. I was able to eat the soft food that was given to me and was able to sit up, despite the pain. The doctor came in and gave me a list of the injuries that I sustained, the worst being a broken rib and a laceration on my head requiring some staples to close. I thanked him and when I alone again, I was able to think about what my next steps should be. The good news is that as a teacher, I had good health insurance so the bills shouldn't be too substantial. That was the price of lower wages. The phone next to my bed rang once, it was my principal confirming that I was indeed in the hospital. Her voice was annoyed at the news that I wouldn't be working for a while.

After I ended my conversation with her, I realized that I had someone else that needed to know about what happened. Even though we had just recently reunited, I felt obligated to let Ozzie know about the incident. It took me a while to decide if I should give him all the details, withhold some information, or if I should downplay it as an accident. The idea of lying outright left a nasty taste in my mouth, but I didn't want him to overreact either. Again, I thought about how I would react if the reverse had occurred and I knew that I had to tell him the truth, as risky as that may be. It helped that I had no idea who attacked me, so I didn't think that Ozzie would be able to find him either. My gut told me that even though he wasn't intimidating physically, Ozzie may do something reckless anyway. But then I realized, the phone number was in my phone, so I couldn't contact him.

After deliberating what to do, I remembered the address and decided to write. Even though it would take longer for him to receive the news, it's the best that I could do under the circumstances. So, after getting the necessary supplies to write and mail the letter, I composed as well as my hand would allow. The nurse on duty promised to mail the letter for me, even though she seemed annoyed at the extra task.

_Two days later_

My family arrived in my room that morning, after booking the first flight that they could get the previous day. It was surprising how much better I felt with just their presence in the room. My mom fought to not cry in front of me but had little success. My father was angry about the situation, understandably. He continued the efforts of the police officer to get more information about my attacker, but again it was no use. After a while of interrogation, my mother admonished him for pushing me. He apologized and held my hand. It really was strange that I had such a negative view of myself, given my upbringing. My parents weren't perfect, but they were overall very supportive and gave my brother and I a great childhood. They were also very encouraging of my interests, paying for my music lessons and more. I appreciated everything that they had done and was determined to someday repay them for their kindness.

Despite their insistence on staying with me for a while, I reminded them that they had responsibilities back home that couldn't be left for long. They owned a small printing business together and only had one worker that could take over while they were gone. We were talking for a little while when we heard a distinct tapping down the hall. None of us could quite decide what it was as it became louder and louder. Finally, the tapping stopped just outside my door. My dad got up to meet whoever was at the door. "Oh my gosh!? Is this Oswald?!" My heart fluttered a little upon hearing his name, and I could feel my face light up with a smile. My dad started a conversation when my mom said loudly, "Alright, Bill, why don't you let the young man come in?!" After laughing, my dad apologized and invited Ozzie to come in.


	10. Chapter 10

_One week later_

Despite my objections, it was hospital policy that all patients be wheeled out in a wheelchair. My rib was still broken, but on the mend. The swelling had gone down and the bruises still looked bad, but they would soon fade. As the nurse pushed me out of the front doors, I saw Ozzie's car in front of me with the driver that I remembered from the school before. The freezing air caused me to shiver as he stepped forward and offered his arm to help me out of the wheelchair. I politely said "No, thank you, I'm okay". I did wince slightly with the sharp pain from my rib as I stood up, but I again reassured him that I was fine. He didn't seem to care much as he shrugged and immediately went back to the car to open the door for me. I heard Ozzie talking from inside, I assumed he was on the phone, so I wasn't worried. As I eased myself in the seat, I heard him saying; "Stop making excuses and make sure it gets done…" He hung up the phone and turned his attention to me.

"Sorry about that! Business waits for no one!" he gave me a patronizing smile and clapped his hands in excitement. "So? Are you ready for your surprise?" I couldn't deny that I was curious of what Ozzie had planned for me. He was always quite unpredictable, and I couldn't begin to guess what was coming. But, another flaw about me is that it's hard for me to accept gifts. He brought me flowers every time that he visited, which was often. I was grateful for the lovely decorations in my room, but I winced as I imagined how much money he had spent. "You really don't have to get me anything, Ozzie. Just you coming to visit me was gift enough, really." He shook his head while smiling, "Now Fee," he used his finger to tap my nose, "it's already been done, so just enjoy it okay?" That brought me a little comfort, and inwardly chastised myself for being difficult again. "Alright," I conceded, "whatever it is, I appreciate it. I hope that you didn't spend too much on it." I knew that I was ruining the moment, but I couldn't help it. It seemed that money was a constant burden that I was forced to bear. I saw a flash in his eyes that I couldn't read as either anger or pleasure. I was ready to be chastised by him, but he just said, "Don't worry about it, just enjoy the surprise, okay?"

After a lengthy drive, we pulled up to Oswald's club. I was worried that he expected me to go into the club and celebrate my release or something, and I was in no shape to party. So I said "Listen, Oswald; I was really hoping to go home, I'm sure that all my plants are dead by now and I'll probably have to restock the fridge..." He had a huge smile on his face. "You don't have to worry about that." The driver opened my door and offered his hand. I took it since it was going to be difficult to me to get out without help. As I was getting out, I said, "Okay, but do you promise to take me home after this?" Once I was outside the car, Ozzie was next to me and had a blindfold in his hand. "Sorry, but you'll need to wear this." He put it over my eyes, and I felt a hand holding mine and two hands on my shoulders.

As I was slowly led, I deduced that Ozzie was holding my hand while the driver was holding my shoulders. Part of me was nervous at my helplessness, but I decided to trust Ozzie. I was led up two flights of stairs, which we climbed slowly and then led down what seemed to be a long hallway. I tried to hear if there were any clues to what was going on, but all I could hear were our footsteps echoing on the walls. Finally, we stopped at a door and I heard keys unlocking a door. We went forward and stopped. I heard the door that we just went through close behind me. "Okay, are your eyes closed?" I complied and nodded my head, and the fabric of the blindfold was removed from my face. Even though my eyes were closed, they still had to adjust to the suddenly bright light. After a second, I heard Ozzie say excitedly, "Okay, open them!"

I blinked my eyes and looked at my surroundings. We were standing in an apartment that looked like it came from a magazine. The walls were pale gray and the floor was a lighter hardwood. The furniture looked brand new and seemed to be simple, but still comfortable. The couch was a navy blue and there were two armchairs with complementary fabric. Their fabric had large flowers that included the same blue as the couch and neutral tones. The coffee table was a simple rectangle of dark wood and had a few decorative Knick knacks. In the same room was an open kitchen and a dining area next to it. There was one large window on the far side of the room that provided plenty of natural light. The cold from outside caused the glass to be mostly frosted.

I didn't see anything that seemed out of the ordinary and assumed that there would be a box or something. I looked behind me and saw Ozzie with one of the largest grins I had ever seen on his face. His eyes darted back and forth from the room to me, but I still didn't understand. "I'm sorry, I'm confused." He said, "Look closer." I turned and walked further in the room, looking at the living room furniture and I saw picture frames on one of the end tables on each side of the couch. Suddenly, I was struck with nostalgia as I recognized them as photos from my apartment. I had them taped to my wall at home. I looked at him and he gestured for me to keep going, but I didn't feel comfortable walking around someone's apartment uninvited. I hesitated and said, "Oswald…. what is this?" He gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Okay, I'll give you a hint. Why would _your_ pictures be _here_?" I thought about it and then had a ridiculous idea that I hoped wasn't true. I must have had a look of realization on my face because Ozzie started giggling and said, "So? What do you think?" He was practically about to jump out of his skin, and I said, "Did you bring these photos here?" Then he started to laugh as he said, "Of course I did! After all, this is _your _apartment!"

I was stunned; I had no idea how to react. So many emotions rushed through my head all at once: disbelief was the prominent one. "No…" I said, "you aren't serious…." He nodded furiously and said, "Yes, it's all yours!" He spread his arms and looked around to drive the point home, "What do you think?!" I didn't know what to think. "Oswald…. Oh my gosh, what's the rent here? I don't think that I can…" He shook his head, "You won't be paying rent, it's all taken care of!" I started crying, "How? I…I can't, it's too much Oswald!" "Of course, you can! It's already taken care of! I brought over all of your personal things and had new furniture brought in!" Ozzie came over and put his hands on my arms and enthusiastically asked, "So, what do you think? And don't say that you can't accept it." I fought with my instincts to do exactly that. The situation felt like a tidal wave, completely out of my control. "Listen," he said with a gentle voice, "I know it's a lot to take in. But I promise you, you don't have to feel any guilt. Friends do things for each other, and you're my oldest friend. Plus," he chuckled "I didn't know what to do with this apartment, so you're actually doing me a favor by taking it."

"Are you sure?" I whispered. He nodded. I took a deep breath and said, "Okay…" having decided in my mind to pay him back somehow. "Great! Now let's look at your new home!" He offered his arm for me to take, and I hooked my arm with his. As he took me on a small tour, I asked him how he came to get the apartment. He said that he had a patron that gave it to him to use as he chose. I didn't quite understand if this was a normal part of his business or not, but I didn't want to ruin the moment by asking too many questions. The apartment was beautiful, especially compared to where I came from. I felt like a peasant be taken around a stately manor and being told that I would be living there! Despite the anxiety that was growing in my stomach, I decided to suppress it as best as I could for now and to address it later.


	11. Chapter 11

_Later that night_

All that I could imagine was, _why in the world would he do this?_ It was an hour after Ozzie left me to settle in. The whole time that we were walking around, I felt my anxiety grow in my stomach. He paid no mind to my discomfort, but I attributed that to his excitement or my silent smiles. Deceiving him was also leaving a bad taste in my mouth, but I couldn't bring myself to disappoint him in this moment. I couldn't believe that anyone would want to do this for me, for more than one reason. On the one hand, he could genuinely be worried about my safety; or he wanted to make sure that I would feel obligated to stay. My heart was so tight that I feared it would snap as my thoughts kept rotating between gratitude, caution, confusion, and so many other emotions. Even though my mind's first reaction to any situation is usually emotional, I also seek to look at situation rationally. And I needed to do so now, so I decided to take a shower, that way I would be away from the large space and be alone with my thoughts. The hot water soothed my body and started to wash away my nerves. _Now, _thought I, _let's figure this out._

After my shower, I came to the following conclusion; I would talk to Ozzie and ask him to decide between two things. First, I can respectfully decline this gift, as I couldn't afford to live here, and I would return to my original situation. The whole reason that I returned to Gotham was to gain independence. Although I didn't consider myself a strong woman, I needed to have this experience in order to get stronger. Even if it means living in a less-than-safe neighborhood. However, I did understand why Ozzie would be worried about me. If our roles were reversed, I would do the same as him in a heartbeat. But I knew that my motivations would not expect a return of the kindness, as I feared that it may be in this case.

The second option, which I hoped that he would take, involved me working to compensate for this living situation. The anxiety that I felt before involved a fear that he would somehow expect me to be a 'friend with benefits' or something similar involving a physical commitment. But my moral convictions would not allow for this, even if I do care for Ozzie. I almost made that mistake in the past, and I would not be repeating it. _Surely, he'll need some help at the club_, I thought, _I could work as a hostess, waitress, a custodian, surely there's something…_ This would allow me to not only work as payment for the apartment, but I would be able to support his business. I thought that this would be the best solution and allow for both of us to benefit from this new arrangement. By making this decision, sleep was now a possibility.

_The next day_

Even though I was mostly healed from my attack, I still resolved to wrap my midriff to help reinforce my still cracked rib. I still couldn't breathe deeply and still had to tolerate pain while making certain movements. But I was still determined to get back to work and left the apartment to catch the bus to school. As my footsteps clicked down the street, I suddenly saw my attacker ahead of me. I felt my hands begin to tremble and my feet froze beneath me. My heart rate must have doubled in one second and sweat started to gather on my brow. As I struggled to control my breathing, my eyes focused on the figure before me. The long hair was too short, he wasn't wearing a hat and he wasn't in the right clothes. Just as suddenly as my attacker appeared before me, he transformed into a stranger walking past me. _It isn't him_ I started to chant in my head, _It isn't him, it isn't him… _It must have been a solid minute before I was able to calm myself down enough to continue my walk. I shook my head, trying to release the hold that my paranoia had on my mind. _Come on!_ I chastised _Get it together!_ _What was I just saying about wanting independence? How can I have that if I'm jumping at every strange man that comes across my path?_ I started walking again, keeping my head down to avoid seeing more ghosts of my attacker.

_After school_

Fortunately, my students were quite glad to see me return. Most of them insisted on hugging me, causing me to catch my breath from the ache. But the joy that filled my heart made it much more bearable. I had almost forgotten how difficult teaching was when I was well, let alone now that I was injured. Fortunately, the students were quite patient with me and didn't cause me too many issues. But after a long day of teaching, I was quite ready to return home. Due to my physical state, it took me much longer to leave the building. When I did so, the sky was a beautiful canvas with violet, pink, and gold. Though I wanted to stay and admire the breathtaking scene, I had to get home. So, I was able to make the bus. The ride was quite bumpy and by the time I got off, I was quite winded and sore. As I vacated the large vehicle at my stop, I saw Ozzie's driver standing next to the bus stop bench. "Ms. James? Mr. Cobblepot has asked me to take you home." It took me a second to calm myself down again before I answered with a shaking voice, "Oh, thank you. I'm sorry, I never did catch your name." He smiled and said, "You can call me Peck."

Peck dropped me off at Oswald's and I saw several people in line outside the door. This made me smile in relief. Unfortunately, since I was blindfolded the day before, I had to retrace my steps from the morning before. After wandering through a couple of hallways, I finally found the door and unlocked the door. I was greeted with a large bouquet of flowers on the dining table. Their striking purple hue reminded me of the neon sign that I had just seen. I touched the delicate petals and remembered their name, Iris. They tickled my fingers and seemed to bring a warmth to my heart, causing me to smile. But then I realized something, how did they get here? The warmth then turned to tightness and fear. There was a card on the table next to the clear vase in which the flowers were gathered. It said, '_To new beginnings…' _and it bore Oswald's signature.

Part of me was angry, _what makes him think that this is okay? Just waltzing in here without my permission…_ But then, I remembered that he gave me this apartment. Of course, he would have a key, why wouldn't he? This turned my anger into anxiety; this made me feel exposed and vulnerable. Like at my old apartment when I knew that I was living close to a dangerous man. _But this is Ozzie, not some stranger_, part of me argued; _True,_ the other part of me countered, _however, I must talk to him and make my boundaries clear_. I started praying for strength and wisdom for my future confrontation with Ozzie.

Instead of waiting till another day, I decided that the sooner I talk to Ozzie, the better. So, I took a shower and changed my clothes. As an alternative to the dress I wore before, I decided to just wear a different dress that I would wear to either church or work. This one was also black, but it was sleeveless and was covered in black lace with blue roses scattered throughout the lace. It was just long enough to cover my calves and flared nicely. After taking as deep of a breath as my injury allowed, I went through the door and made my way down to the club.


	12. Chapter 12

_At Oswald's Club_

The same bouncer recognized me from before and allowed me to enter the club. I asked where I could find Mr. Cobblepot and he said to wait at the bar. Instead of the empty space that I saw before, there were about 10 people in the club, most were talking low and drinking. The atmosphere wasn't as exciting as I expected it to be. There wasn't someone on the stage, and it seemed like the patrons were getting restless. But I was on a mission and needed to focus. Following the instructions of the bouncer, I stood next to the bar and the bartender asked if he could get me anything. I just asked for water, glad that I could follow my previous resolve this time. He smiled and complied with my request. When he returned, I asked him, "May I have your name?" "Anthony Black, it's nice to meet you Ms. James," my name caused me to widen my eyes in confusion. "How do you…" "Oh, all of us have been made aware of your situation." "Oh…I see." He turned to continue his work, but I interrupted, "I'm sorry, but could you tell me if there are any positions available here?" He gave me a surprised look of his own. "Umm, you'll have to ask the boss that," he used his chin to point behind me.

I turned in the direction of his signal to see Ozzie approaching with a large man beside him. He was wearing the same suit as when I first saw him, and the smile on Ozzie's face gave me a little courage to complete my plan. "My dear, Felicity!" he said with the same friendly tone as his initial welcome. "How can I help you?" I hesitated for a moment, and he gasped in realization, "Oh, I haven't introduced you to my new associate: Butch." The large man had pale brown hair close to his scalp and a 'V' scared on his forehead. Seeing this caused me to unconsciously touch my own scar. Butch held out his hand toward me and I gave him mine. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Felicity." "The pleasure is mine," I turned my attention to Ozzie and asked, "Oswald, can I talk to you…alone?" His eyes lit up with curiosity and he snapped, "Of course! Why don't you come with me to the back? I have an office there." We went around the stage just as a man with short dark hair and a pale yellow polo shirt was getting up on the stage. He seemed extremely nervous. Butch stayed to watch over the club while we were gone, sitting at the end of the bar.

We made our way down a small, darker hallway where a door greeted us at the end. Ozzie used a key to unlock it, and once he allowed me inside, I was able to see his small office. Compared to the club, this room was not very impressive, there were some filing cabinets around the room and there was a small older desk in the middle of the room with a couple of worn out chairs facing it. The space was made more claustrophobic due to the dim lighting and lack of windows. "Please," he said as he limped to one of the chairs and rested his hands on the back of it, "have a seat." I complied, resting my purse on my lap. He sat in the chair behind the desk, and after a moment said, "I'm sorry about the tight quarters, I haven't had a chance to renovate this room yet, after all I'm hardly ever back here." The smile on his face showed a small bit of embarrassment, but I shook my head slightly and replied, "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that we can talk."

"So…" he started and took a deep breath while leaning back, "what can I do for you?" This was the moment that I had prepared for, and yet it was so difficult for me to begin. "Well…." I started as I gripped my purse in my hands for slight reassurance, "I want to start by thanking you again for your gifts, they are far too generous, and the flowers were a lovely surprise to come home to today." He smiled in acknowledgement, but said nothing, I knew that smile would be fading soon enough. "But…I have to make things clear…"

After explaining my concerns and ideas, I waited for his response. His eyes changed from light-hearted to intense as I spoke of returning to my old apartment. But he took a deep breath and allowed me to continue through a clenched jaw. I kept pacifying him by reminding him that I am grateful for all that he has done, but it really wasn't necessary. Our friendship isn't one built on conditions of gain, and I wanted to remind him of that. "You don't have to give me anything, Ozzie. I care about you for you, not for what you give me." He acted a little uncomfortable at this statement, moving his head a little like he was trying to pop his neck. After this he took a deep breath, "I'm afraid that I must insist on declining that idea. Of course, I can't control where you live, but do you really want to live next to a dangerous man like Maroni? You must know that he is not to be trusted." I nodded in agreement, "I won't deny that. But I have another idea."

So I continued and gave him my second proposal. When I finished, he stood up and limped toward me, and stood over me. "Fee," he started with a serious tone, "Thank you for making your position clear. I will comply with your request regarding my access to your apartment. I will no longer enter when you are not home or when uninvited. But I don't want you to return to your old apartment, and I don't want you working here." I started to object, but he lifted his finger to silence me. "The apartment was given to me and I am free to do with it as I wish. I gave it to you for your own good. So please say no more on that score." I could tell that he was irritated with me, but he plastered a smile across his lips, "Besides, you already work all day, don't you? When would you have time to do anything else?" He took my hand and put his other hand over mine. "The only thing I want you to do is to keep seeing me. Your company brings me pleasure." He kissed my hand, "and maybe…" he continued, "we can develop our relationship further?"

I paused a moment to process what he was saying. There were so many implications to that statement, so I asked for clarity. But before he could continue there was a knock on the door, causing me to jump in my seat. "Not now!" he yelled. There was a voice on the other side that responded, "Sorry boss, but things are getting a little out of hand out here." Ozzie let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine! I'm coming!" He turned his attention back to me and said, "I'm sorry that we were interrupted before we could finish our discussion." He seemed to think a little and got up to the door. Apparently the origin of the voice was still standing outside the door, and Ozzie spoke to him in a low voice that I couldn't hear.

After a moment, he limped back to my side. "I'm sorry, but we will have to continue our discussion at another time." He offered his hand, I accepted it and he assisted me out of the chair. The hand was warm and made me very aware of how nice it felt to hold. This must have been due to his earlier question about progressing our relationship. While I was having this inner realization, the other man entered the room. "Fee," Ozzie began, "Gabe here will take you to your apartment. If things are getting out of hand, I would rather you not be around to get involved. The good news is that there is a back way to get there." I looked at Gabe, who reminded me of Butch from earlier, but his face was obviously older with more wrinkles. But he smiled a little and I returned the gesture. Ozzie released my hand and Gabe offered his arm, "Shall we?" I looked at Ozzie and he nodded to reassure me. As I took the large man's arm, I heard the patrons outside booing. "Better get going!" Ozzie said enthusiastically with a panic in his voice.


	13. Chapter 13

_Later that night_

_Felicity's New Apartment_

Gabe took me up the emergency exit staircase located at the back of the building. By the time we reached the apartment, I was struggling to catch my breath. I didn't realize that physical activity would cause my rib to flare up, so I was caught off guard. Fortunately, Gabe didn't seem to be worried and didn't comment. I unlocked the door and thanked Gabe for accompanying me. He nodded and turned to make his way down the hall. I locked the door behind me and walked to the dining table to lean on it for a minute while I tried to calm my burning lungs.

The bouquet of irises seemed to greet me proudly, making me smile. I touched them again and allowed my mind to wonder about Ozzie's question. _Should we take the next step? Is it too fast? Would it work out? Will he get bored with me?_ _I'm not interesting or strong or attractive so what can he see in me?_ I had been to a couple of therapy sessions and had to use the techniques that I was taught to counter my negative thoughts. It's not that I didn't believe those thoughts, but I didn't want them to hinder my life or slow me down. So, I focused on the violet petals before me, smelling them, touching them. I imagined Ozzie and I dancing, laughing, kissing…

The last one made my face heat up and my stomach to flutter. This was when I decided that I should get ready for bed.

As I was changing to my night clothes, I resolved to ignore Ozzie's objection to working at the club. _What can I do that would allow me to work after school, that isn't too physical till I heal up, and at least partially repay him for this new apartment?_ My thoughts rotated from one idea to another, and suddenly I reached a brilliant idea. It made me practically giddy when it formed in my mind. _Will that work? I would need help to pull this off…_I decided to talk to either Butch, Gabe, or Anthony about the idea, otherwise I wasn't sure that I could manage it. But at least I was able to find a solution to my conundrum. With that decision, I was able to relax and go to bed.

_The next morning_

I was able to get down to the street despite my aching midriff, the previous night's stair climb was punishing me from the moment I rose from my bed. But, with things cleared up in my head, my mind felt much lighter than the day before. So I was able to get ready in fairly good time. When I reached the sidewalk, I started walking toward the bus stop when I heard a deep voice say, "Ms. James?" This surprised me greatly and caused me to jump, yet again. Butch was standing there next to Ozzie's car. "Mr. Cobblepot has asked me to drive you to school this morning." I noticed that as he was talking, his face kept twitching and his eyes kept blinking in an unusual way. This caused me to be concerned for him, and I asked him if he was feeling alright. He nodded and turned to open the car door for me. Before complying, I hesitated. Part of me was bothered that Ozzie didn't heed my wishes to be independent. But then I thought about it. _Maybe he just feels bad about cutting our conversation short…and besides I am pretty sore… S_o I thanked Butch and got in the car.

During the car trip, we talked about things and I learned about Butch's past. How he used to work for a woman named Fish Mooney and how Ozzie used to work for her too. It sounded like this woman ruled with an iron fist and that Ozzie had to work hard to get to where he was now. I was surprised that Fish would give up her club, but I could tell that he was uncomfortable with continuing the conversation, so I dropped it. We finally arrived at the school and there weren't any cars parked in the parking lot next to the building. Butch noticed this and asked, "Are we too early? Should we wait with you?" I shook my head, "No, this is fine, I always come early to school. Although, not usually this early..." I smiled and thanked him for the ride. "No problem, Mr. Cobblepot's normal driver, Peck, will be here to pick you up after school." "Oh!" I said with a surprised voice, "Really? O…okay. Thank you again…" The cold air caused me to retreat from the car as fast as I could and to find shelter in the warm building.

_A few hours later_

_Felicity's classroom_

During my planning period, during which my class was in Art, I received a call from the office telling me that I had visitors. Sighing, I put down the assignments that I was grading and made my way there. Upon walking into the office, I saw two men standing in front of the reception desk. One of the men had short blonde hair and a blue suit; he had an air of authority and determination that reminded me of a soldier, he faced me when I came in. "Felicity James?" "Yes?" "My name is Detective Gordon," he showed me his badge and introduced, "and this is Detective Bullock." The other man showed his badge as well. This person was older with a mostly white and ginger beard with long hair reaching below his ears appearing from underneath a brown fedora hat. His suit was also brown and seemed to be less rigid than his partner's. "We're sorry to come here while school is in session, but can we talk?" Detective Gordon continued. "I'm sorry…" I asked, "What is this about?" Bullock answered, "This is about your attack a couple of weeks ago. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" I nodded and took them to the conference room further inside the office area. Needless to say, there were more than a few curious looks directed at us as we passed the office doors. But the conference room was available and unoccupied, so I directed them to sit in a couple of the available chairs. I offered them coffee or water; Bullock asked for coffee, while Gordon declined.

I returned with the coffee and handed it to Bullock. He gave a small thanks and I sat in a chair on the opposite side of the table from the two detectives. Before I returned, I mentioned the situation to my principal, and though she was obviously annoyed, she reluctantly allowed me to take as much time as I needed. She got on the phone, obviously trying to contact someone to substitute my class while I was talking to the detectives. With that, I returned to the conference room with the coffee. I took a seat on the opposite side of the table from the two men and took a small cleansing breath. "Ms. James," Gordon started, "We are homicide detectives with the GCPD and we would like to ask you a few questions regarding your attack a week and a half ago." I was confused, "Wait…homicide? Why would…" a horrifying thought hit me suddenly, "is…is someone dead?" The men looked at each other briefly with a knowing look, this confirmed my suspicions. "Who?" Bullock quickly said, "The man that attacked you, Tom Zebow, otherwise known as Leech, was found dead this morning."

I gasped painfully and covered my mouth, "He was beaten to death in an alley next to where you were mugged," he continued. My eyes were wide with shock and horror. "Oh my God…" Gordon glanced at Bullock and continued, "Ms. James, do you have any idea who may be motivated to do this?" "No! I…I didn't even know who it was! That poor man!" Both detectives gave me a confused look, "But…." Bullock began, "He beat you up out of the blue, how can you say, 'poor man?' He was a low life and I'd say he had it coming. If someone I cared about was mugged by him, I would be tempted to do the same thing." I shook my head and continued, "No…he didn't deserve to die. I didn't want him to hurt anyone else, but he was obviously mentally ill and needed help." As I was speaking, a thought entered my head. It was about something Bullock said, S_omeone he cares about? What if Ozzie? _Gordon interrupted my thoughts by asking, "Ms. James…" my attention was back on his face. "Are you sure that you can't think of anyone that may do this?" Even though Ozzie was in my mind, I wasn't going to say it since I had no proof and I didn't want him to be suspected of something that he probably didn't do. So I shook my head silently.

Bullock leaned back in his chair with a deep breath of annoyance. "Alright Jim, you heard her. Let's just call this one a random hit and call it a day." "Wait." He responded firmly. "Ms. James, we need you to tell us the truth. You know someone don't you? Maybe they wanted to teach him a lesson and it went to far? You obviously didn't want this man to get hurt, right? Well, help us get justice for him." "Detective.." I responded while planting my hands on the table, "I honestly don't know who would do this. I didn't even know who he was, so how would someone else know? I'm sorry." It was Gordon's turn to lean back and sigh. "Alright," he said as he gave a small smile. "There's also something else we want to talk to you about. Do you know Ethan Swanson?" I involuntarily gasped at his name and snapped my eyes toward Detective Gordon in fear. After clearing my throat, I replied, "Yes, we were engaged a while ago. But we parted ways after he was arrested." This caused the detectives to give each other another knowing look and then return their gaze at me. They made me feel like a fool that wasn't in on their inside joke, which started to annoy me. Bullock continued where Gordon left off, "He was also found dead three days ago. His body was found at the base of Gotham Bridge. He was executed by gunshot. We think it could be the same person doing this, since they both tie back to you." I couldn't breathe, my heart and mind were racing. I didn't know what shocked me more, the fact that he was dead, or the fact that he had found me in Gotham. After forcing myself to breathe again, I unconsciously touched my scar.

Gordon leaned forward toward me, resting his elbows on the table and holding his hands together. "Now…there are two dead men that are connected to you. If you know anyone that is capable of this, now would be the time to give us that name, Ms. James." "How…how did he know?" I whispered. Bullock asked, "Come again?" I looked at him and responded, "I…I thought that I was safe from him. I didn't think that Ethan would find me here." As much as I hated myself for it, I was almost relieved that Ethan couldn't come after me again. But I would never want him dead. Warmth flooded my face and tears welled in my eyes. Even though I didn't want to be with him anymore; I still loved him at one point, so my emotions caught up with me. I furiously wiped the tears from my eyes and fought to calm down. "I'm sorry…" I said softly. "Please…" Gordon said quietly, "Give us a name. We want to make sure that Gotham is safe from whoever did this. We just want justice for these two murders." That word, murder, caused me to inhale sharply. It didn't seem real until that word was said out loud. I looked into Gordon's pale blue eyes and I said, "Detective…I can't help you. I really wish I could, but I didn't even know that Ethan was here. And I didn't know who attacked me. So how could I…"

"Alright…" Bullock said with an air of resolution, "It doesn't look like Ms. James can help us out here. Let's leave her to get back to her students, okay Jim?" He patted his partner on the shoulder and Jim glanced at him, "Okay…" All of us stood up from our chairs and Gordon reached into his pocket to take out a card and hand it to me. It was his business card with his contact information. "Please call me if you think of anyone, Ms. James. Believe me when I say this…" he leaned in close to me and said with a piercing gaze, "Once someone starts down this path, they can get lost in the darkness. The best way to help someone like this is to stop them. Do you understand what I'm saying?" I knew that he was just doing his job, but I was angry that he kept pressing me. But I thanked them for their time and walked toward the door. Bullock opened the door for me, and I left ahead of them. After seeing them out, I went to the faculty restroom and locked the door. I sat on the industrial tile floor and wept for the two lives lost and the doubt that had entered my heart regarding my best friend.


	14. Chapter 14

_After school_

Everything in me wanted to leave, to hide in my apartment until the pain stopped. It must have been twenty minutes till I was able to pull myself together enough to return to my class. I felt like an automaton, just reading from a script and going through the motions. Part of me was constantly criticizing my lack of effort, calling me a fraud. _What happened to making a difference? What happened to bringing Gotham out of Hell, one soul at a time?_ _So much for that! Those men are dead because of you! You couldn't even defend yourself from an attacker just after a self-defense course, how pathetic is that?! _The school bell finally snapped me out of my pity party. As the students left the classroom, one of the boys stood in front of me and said, "Ms. James? Are you ok?" I felt utter shame in letting my own problems affect my teaching. I struggled to control my voice as I bent down to the little boy's level. "I'm sorry Miguel, I just heard some bad news and I'm still sad about it." He hugged my neck, and I returned his embrace with tears streaming down my face. _This is Heaven, this is what I'm striving for in this city._ "Thank you, Miguel." I whispered.

I left the school building and found the car and driver that Butch mentioned that morning. I greeted the driver, who was leaning against the trunk, reading a newspaper. At my approach, he put away his newspaper and got into the driver's seat. I got in the back of the car and asked him to make a stop before returning to my apartment. We arrived at the Gotham Cathedral after a ten-minute drive. Peck told me that he would wait there till I was done. After thanking him, I entered the immense and beautiful building. Upon entering, I walked down the long aisle; covered with fragments of colored light, scattered like flower petals. The enormous stained-glass windows were always my favorite part of visiting, their craftmanship was a piece of art that could be appreciated for hundreds of years. Now wasn't the time to do so, I had a mission to complete.

I saw that there were several people seated sporadically in the pews, which wasn't unusual for a weekday. They were so quiet that if I didn't see them myself, I would have thought the church abandoned. My footsteps echoed the vast space as I walked toward the altar, and I smelled a little smoke from the lit candles in candelabras scattered throughout the sanctuary. I saw the large rack of candles on the right side of the altar, at the feet of a statue of the Virgin Mary. As I approached the rack, I noticed that only about a quarter of the candles were lit. I picked up the lighter available for patrons to use and lit two candles, saying a short prayer in front of them. After that, I walked back to one of the many unoccupied pews to continue my prayers and to meditate.

I closed my eyes and lowered my head, allowing my thoughts to communicate with God. A couple of moments later, I felt someone seated next to me; but I didn't pay them any mind since I was deep in my Heavenly conversation. Then, a whisper came in my ear and startled me out of my meditation, "Hello again.." I gasped painfully and looked at the person beside me. It was Salvatore Maroni! I tried to stand and get as much distance between myself and him as possible, but he grabbed my wrist firmly and then used his other hand to move his jacket. He revealed a gun in a light brown holster, which caused me to gasp again and made me freeze. "That's better…" he continued to whisper, "Now, if you'll just stay still you won't get hurt, alright?" I nodded and he released me from his grip. "I just wanted to talk to you a minute, I promise that no harm will come to you, especially here." To emphasize his point, he gestured with his hand toward the vaulted ceiling.

I couldn't believe this, first I found out about two men's murders; and now Salvatore Maroni was here! It was as if someone was writing an amateur story and wanted to get as much drama into one day as possible. I tried to calm my shaking nerves and suppress my overwhelming urge to flee. By taking a deep breath, I was able to collect myself enough to ask quietly, "W..why do you want to talk to me, Mr. Maroni?" He smirked and chuckled a bit before replying, "Did you ever give my message to Penguin?" I could feel my eyes widen and my breath catch, now that he was talking about Ozzie, I felt a surprising a surge of resolve enter my breast. "No sir, I didn't." I calmly replied and turned my attention back to the front of the cathedral. He hmphed and continued, "So you are his girl after all, huh?" I didn't want to answer this question because I knew no matter what I said, he would draw his own conclusions. After a moment of silence, he continued, "I noticed that you haven't been back to your apartment for a while, how disappointing. I was looking forward to having you at the restaurant for a meal." My body tensed up at this comment. "How about we go now? I promise you the food is top notch." I looked at him and saw a toothy grin shining back at me. His eyes had a grit that couldn't be ignored, but every fiber of my being wanted to run. But I looked around and saw a couple of elderly men and women, a young mother with her sleeping baby, and a lone middle-aged man dressed in a garage uniform scattered throughout the pews. I can't put them in danger by angering the man next to me. So, I swallowed and nodded my head in defeat. "That's a good girl, now let's go."

Maroni kept one arm linked around mine and accompanied me through the towering doors. I was hoping that Ozzie's driver, Peck, would be there to rescue me; but my heart sank when I saw him slumped over the steering wheel of the car. I further gasped painfully when I realized that his head was covered in blood, "Oh God!" I breathed. "Don't worry," the monster beside me said in my ear, "as long as you cooperate, you'll come out of this alive." The largest knot that I have ever felt settled over my heart as true dread overwhelmed me. He must have sensed that I was going to fight him, so he grabbed my upper arms and squeezed. We walked to a waiting SUV in the alley next to the cathedral. My captor quickly opened the door and shoved me into the back seat, slamming the door behind me. As close as I was to screaming and running at that point, it was quickly stifled by the large man in the car next to me holding a gun pointed at my head. His unoccupied hand lifted to his lips and he used his finger to silence me and a low shh escaped his lips.


	15. Chapter 15

_Bamonte's restaurant_

"Have a seat," Maroni said casually as his employee firmly forced me to sit in a small wooden chair. I winced as the jarring action caused my rib to shoot a painful spark. "Easy, now, there's no need to hurt the lady is there?" "No, boss," a low, gruff voice replied. I looked at my surroundings, the small restaurant was empty and had several tables that were set with nicer place settings than I expected. I was seated at one of them and each table had a small crystal vase with a red flower and the tablecloths were pristine white and each place setting had a folded cloth napkin ready for any diner at any moment. The low ceiling had small crystal chandeliers that provided a warm glow to the pink damask walls and the red velvet curtains. It was now sunset, and the light was a fiery orange that pierced through a window to my left. I took in the light as my final glimpse of God's creation, for I feared that I would be killed before the sun rose again. This thought caused my eyes to well up a little, but I wouldn't give my captors the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Just like that day in the playground as a child, I wouldn't let my tears fall.

Maroni took the seat across from me and snapped his fingers, causing a waiter to appear quickly afterward. "Get us the Chianti, and we'll have the grilled chicken carbonara." The waiter disappeared as swiftly as he arrived. My captor put on his best salesman act and said smoothly, "Best dish in the house…I guarantee it," and winked at me. Settling back in his seat, he clasped his hands in front of his face. He studied my face for a moment and then lifted his pointing fingers upward and touched his lips. Rotating his hand toward me, he said, "You know, it took me a while to find you Ms. James," this caused me to catch my breath since I knew for a fact that I never told him my name, "You're a teacher at Gotham Elementary, right?" "Yes, sir." "Hmm, respectful, that's going to take you far in this city."

"You may be wondering why I brought you here today. Let me tell you a story. Several months ago, things were pretty normal around here. I was running my business, when this little man that looked like he was drug behind a truck for a few miles came waltzing in here begging for a job. He proved to be useful, so I gave him a promotion. And for my generosity, he repaid me with betrayal!" Maroni slapped the table, causing the placements to rattle. Of course, this caused me to jump. "Turns out, he was playing both sides of the court between me and Falcone. Played me for a fool, but no longer."

As Maroni was speaking, the waiter silently placed two wine glasses in front of us and brought out a wine bottle. I watched him as he firmly used the cork stopper on the bottle in his hand. When the cork popped, I jumped in my seat. Maroni chuckled at my reaction. I could feel my face lighting up in embarrassment as the crimson liquid was poured first in my glass, then in Maroni's. The waiter then placed the bottle next to Maroni and left again. I kept my fisted hands on my lap and didn't move as I watched him pick up the glass and start smelling it. "Something wrong?" he said while lowering his glass away from his face. The waiter returned with our dishes and placed them in front of us. I decided that I should be honest and not push my luck with him, so I answered quietly, "I've only had wine at the church." He found this hilarious and slapped the table as he laughed. This caused me to jump again, and Maroni exhaled to calm down. "Well, here's to your first glass," he took up his glass and held it toward me. I took the cue and reluctantly clinked glasses with him.

I followed his lead and took a sip after seeing him do so. The dark liquid was thick and strong in my mouth, causing me to swallow quickly to get rid of it. This caused me to cough and grab the water glass in front of me to chase it down. This was also to resolve the dryness that hit my mouth afterward. Again, this caused Maroni to laugh at my inexperience and my naivety. He wiped his eye and said, "You are a good girl, aren't you?" I lowered my head, humiliated at the demeaning tone that this man used to describe me. It reminded me that I was a goldfish in a tank with a shark. "Eat!" he exclaimed with a friendly voice. He waited for me to comply, but the last thing I wanted to do was eat. While trying to read his thoughts, I figured that he would assume that I was worried that it was poisoned or something. He confirmed this by saying, "Don't worry, it's not poisoned see?" He used his fork to take some of the food from my plate and ate it in front of me. Although I wanted to tell him that I wasn't hungry, I didn't want to provoke him. The dish was quite good, and I nodded to let him know. "So, let's talk about _exactly_ why you're here, Ms. James. You see, Penguin has made a stupid mistake in pulling the wool over my eyes." He got up from his chair and made his way toward me and I gripped my fork tightly. I wanted to retreat but knew that I couldn't. Maroni's face was soon at my ear, "He will regret crossing me, mark my words."

There was a moment of silence and suddenly I was dragged up from my chair by left arm. This triggered me to scream involuntarily and to swing my right arm toward whoever held me. The grip on my arm was gone and an angry yell sliced through the restaurant. The fork that I was holding was imbedded in the arm of one of Maroni's men, causing it to bleed everywhere. Adrenaline suddenly took over my faculties and I ran toward the door, knocking over chairs on my way. "Get her back here!" Maroni screamed behind me. There were a couple of gunshots that caused holes to explode in the walls around me but thank God they missed me. I felt my pulse throbbing through my head as I slammed into the front door, causing it to swing open violently. Without thinking, I just ran. My feet were burning, as well as my lungs while they fought with my heartbeat. The pain in my midriff was searing and made running harder than ever before. But I was too afraid to stop. Suddenly, blue and red lights started flashing in front of me and almost blinded me. I waved my arms and screamed to get the police car to stop, and I thanked God that they did.


	16. Chapter 16

_An hour later_

_Gotham Police Station_

I was sitting in the Gotham Police Department, my body still trembling from adrenaline and fear. The large space was open and looked nearly as large as the cathedral that I was sitting in mere hours before. There were several desks scattered on the main floor, while a couple of open-air cells were on the far side. Police officers were working in many ways, reminding me of a bee colony working to make sure that their jobs are done. There were also a few citizens talking to different officers, while there were others in handcuffs being led either to the cells or brought out. I did my best to not make eye contact with any of them, hoping that none of them recognized me or were friends with Maroni. After a moment, I heard a familiar voice, "Ms. James?" I looked up and saw Detective Bullock standing above me. Relief flooded over me as I struggled to stand, he held his hand in front of me to signal me to stay seated. "No, you stay there. I heard that you had quite the evening." I laughed a little and lowered my head, struggling to control my nerves so that I could have a reasonable conversation. "So, can you tell me what happened?" the detective asked as he sat in the chair next to me.

After telling him what happened, he ran his hand through his hair and said, "Jesus Christ…Penguin's double-crossed Maroni?" By the tone of his voice, I could tell that it was a rhetorical question, so I asked a question of my own. "Detective, what can I do? He knows where I work. He knows my church..." He gave me a small, reassuring smile and put his hand on my shoulder. "We'll make sure that he won't get you here. You can stay here till you come up with a plan. There is protective custody…" That idea seemed appealing, but I didn't want to leave everyone. I knew that I would have to cut ties with my family and friends, and I wasn't sure that I could do that. My head lowered and I rested it in my hands with my hair between my fingers. Thoughts were swimming in my head when suddenly, I heard a man's voice say, "Detective, I have the forensic results." Bullock said, "Oh, thanks Nygma. So which case is it again?" "If you feed me, I grow, if you give me water, I die…what am I?" "Not now Nygma!" Bullock yelled.

"Fire." I answered impulsively. "Oh..." the other voice said in surprise, "Yes, it's the fire that broke out a few days ago in the Ryan apartment." "Okay," Bullock replied, "Listen, Ms. James I'm going to get another officer to talk to you, okay? You don't mind, do you?" With my head still lowered, I answered, "Okay. Thank you, Detective Bullock…" After a few moments of silence, I heard the voice again speak. "So… are you a fan of riddles?" I looked up and saw a tall and thin man wearing a gray coat with several pens sticking out of the breast pocket. His glasses were a prominent feature of his face and his hair was straight and brown. His neck seemed quite long as it stuck out from his dress shirt and tie and he had a pleased smile on his face. He held a clipboard against his chest and seemed to be anticipating an answer from me.

Part of me was annoyed and wanted to be left alone. But I was grateful for someone to distract me from my situation, so I smiled back at him and replied, "Yes, although I'm not very good at them." His eyes lit up behind his glasses, but he must have noticed that I wasn't enthusiastic in my conversation because he asked, "Rough day?" I couldn't help but giggle a little to his deduction, "Yeah, kind of…" After a second of uncomfortable deliberation on his part, he took the seat next to me. "I'm sorry to hear that…" Again, a pause. "May I have your name?" I asked. He smiled again and held out his hand, "Edward…Nygma, I work in Forensics…" As we shook hands, I introduced myself. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Nygma. Do you know many riddles yourself?" "Oh yes," he adjusted his glasses, "they're good to keep the mind sharp. Unfortunately, not many here appreciate riddles…" This caused me to pity him a bit. I imagined him trying desperately to engage the other officers in conversation, with little success. Although he seemed awkward, I appreciated his company in this moment. "Ask me another one…" I said with a smile.

After a few more riddles, A female officer came over and asked me if I was Felicity James. I nodded and Mr. Nygma quickly got out of his chair. "Thank you for your time, Ms. James. Do you mind answering one more?" "Not at all," I replied, "Go ahead…" "A diamond plate, a glowing grate, a place you never leave. Where am I?" So far, I only answered the first riddle correctly, so I took a moment to think. When the answer appeared in my mind, I was reminded of my situation, causing my mood to return to melancholy. "Home…" I answered quietly while forcing my polite smile to disguise my weighted heart. "Correct!" He answered enthusiastically, "I hope that we meet again, Ms. James. It's truly refreshing to engage another mind with word play." "Thank you, Mr. Nygma," I answered. With that, he walked away with his back perfectly straight, reminding me of a wooden nutcracker. The officer then took the chair that was just vacated. She had a look of annoyance on her face as she asked, "Sorry, was he bothering you? He tends to do that sometimes…" I answered, "Not at all. He's helped me get my mind of my situation." After shrugging, the officer asked me if there was someone that she could call for me. I was about to answer when I looked at the entrance of the station and saw Gabe walk in.


	17. Chapter 17

_An hour later_

_Felicity's Apartment_

Gabe drove me home and told me that he was sent to find me by Ozzie when I didn't return from the school. After finding the car and the body of Peck, he was able to find witnesses that pointed him to Maroni. He saw a couple of police cars on the outside of Bamonte's, helping him to search at the police station. Gabe then accompanied me to my door, which I appreciated. When I went inside the apartment, my heart felt just a little relief. Even though this is where I wanted to be, I still didn't know what to do. Despite so much time passing, no answers came into my mind. "You okay while I go tell Mr. Cobblepot that you're back?" I thanked him and nodded. "Lock the door, alright?" After closing the door, the clicks gave me a little reassurance. I again saw the irises in the vase, and they gave me a little smile. The couch allowed me to collapse comfortably and I allowed my sobs to escape; I covered my face to stifle my screams.

My face was soaked with tears and snot when I heard a knock at the door about thirty minutes later. I grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table and cleaned myself up before getting up to check the peep hole. I saw the face of my friend, with worry flashing in his eyes. "Fee? Fee? It's me. Let me in," he said anxiously as I was unlocking the deadbolt and chain. When I opened the door; I saw Ozzie's whole body stiffen when he saw my face, "Oh, Fee…." he said with pity in his eyes. I stepped back and signaled him to come in with my hand. He took that hand and kissed it desperately, then held it against his cheek. "I'm so sorry…." He said with tears welling in his eyes. This of course, caused me to cry again and I quickly removed my hand so that I could embrace him tightly. My sobs were stifled by his shoulder as I held on to him with all my might.

I calmed down after a minute and released him slowly. I was embarrassed when I saw that I ruined his beautiful jacket and tried to wipe it away. He smiled and laughed a little saying, "Don't worry about it…" I closed the door again and locked it behind us, I didn't want to take any chances. Ozzie limped to the couch and patted his hand on the cushion next to him. At this moment, I didn't care about boundaries, so I took his offer.

He unbuttoned his jacket and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His warmth seemed to permeate into my heart, bringing a small smile to my face. "Fee…I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I should have protected you," his voice tightened with emotion. "There's no way you could have known…" I responded. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as I thought about what to say next. My next words were the ones that weighed heaviest on my mind in that moment. "He knows where I work, Ozzie. He knows where I go to church…" paranoia settled in my chest, making my heart ache. I felt Ozzie's arm squeezing me to try to reassure me. "Felicity…look at me." He released me so that I could turn toward him. His gloved hands grabbed mine and held them. "I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you, ever again!" His blue eyes pierced mine.

"Thank you…so much…" I whispered. Ozzie released my left hand and caressed my left cheek. The leather felt smooth and cool on my skin; this was the first time that I felt this type of caress, and it was mesmeric. His gentle touch was exactly what I needed in that moment. My hand covered his to capture the feeling and I never wanted to let go. I closed my eyes to savor the moment. As I was relaxing; a soft, tentative kiss touched my lips. This caused me to gasp a little and withdraw my face. I looked at him and Ozzie looked at me, waiting for my reaction. His eyes seemed to be pleading with mine to continue, he swallowed and chewed a little on his bottom lip.

After everything that's happened, all the things that he has done for me; my body wanted him more than anything else in the world. I've always seen him as my dearest friend and yet, I knew that he had a darker side deep within. Somewhere deep inside myself I hoped that someday, I could reach down and pull him out. Even though I never heard from him for years, he still invaded my thoughts sometimes. They would consist of; _I wonder if he's doing okay? Is he still in Gotham? Does he have a family?_ And I was left with cold loneliness. A small voice in the back of my mind cried out in warning..._Screw it_. My inner caution was shoved in a far corner of my mind, allowing my passions to take over. I leaned forward and my lips met his again timidly.

I felt the cushion beneath me shift as Ozzie moved closer to me. Slowly, firmly, deliciously, his mouth caressed mine. A rush of sweet, heady pleasure flowed through me. As we continued, the sensations made my stomach tingle and I desired more. My hands grasped his vest; my thumbs caressed the smooth material. He must have taken this as a hint and broke our contact to take off the vest. As I watched him do so, I noted that he looked even more attractive with the vest on or off and I couldn't help but smile at him. He returned the gesture and took off his gloves. After they were off, he framed my face with his palms, causing me to take a deep breath.

Suddenly, a bell pierced the air; causing us both to jump. It took less than a second to realize that it was his cell phone ringing. His face flashed in anger, but he plastered his fake smile on his face while saying, "Sorry…" Upon answering, he snapped, "What?!" I took this distraction as a chance to adjust my body to a more comfortable position. He closed his phone and said, "Fee, I'm sorry but I have to go…" "I understand," I said quietly. Ozzie caressed my cheek and said, "You need to get some rest, we can talk again tomorrow. I'll ask Gabe to keep watch tonight." I knew Gabe to be one of Ozzie's higher ranked employees, so I knew that he could be trusted. "Thank you Ozzie…good night…" He kissed my hand, gathered his belongings and left me alone.


	18. Chapter 18

_The next morning_

This was the most restless night I had ever had. My dreams were plagued by Maroni and his men, their intimidating gazes transformed into monstrous faces and their hands turned into deadly claws tearing into my skin. No matter how many times I tried to suppress those types of thoughts, they kept returning and tormenting my slumber. More than once I woke up dripping with sweat. After what seemed an eternity, my phone's alarm started ringing on my nightstand, and I was faced with a new day. Even though Maroni knew where I worked, I couldn't stop living my life. I decided to take my chances and not let this man run my life. Armed with coffee and pepper spray, I was as ready as I could be.

_8AM_

_Gotham Elementary School_

As my students were settling down for their school day, I was gathering the graded quizzes from the day before to pass them out. As usual, it took a little time for the students to calm down and focus their attention on the task at hand. I was half-way finished with handing out the papers when the phone of my classroom rang. The call wasn't from inside the building, according to the Caller ID. Normally those kinds of calls come in the afternoon, not the morning. I picked up the phone, and heard a voice that chilled my veins, "Hello Ms. James…" Maroni's voice said with a sing-song tone. My first reaction was to freeze, then hot anger raced through my entire body. "What do you want?!" I whispered harshly. "Now, now, is that any way to talk to me after our nice dinner yesterday? We never did get to finish our conversation you know…" Even though I wanted to maintain my fury, it was quickly replaced by a realization that my students are in danger. "Alright, alright I'll come after school." "Nah, you had your chance to make this just between us. You will come outside the back door now, or we will come in after you, sweetheart." The last word sent icicles through my heart. I took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, I'll be out in five minutes." "Good, see you soon; and if you call the police or tell anyone, we will come in with guns blazing."

After hanging up the phone, I told the students to start reading a passage from their book and that I would need to step out. My first instinct was to call the police, but I knew that he would follow through on his threat. With such little time, I ran down the hallway toward the front office. While turning a corner, I almost ran into the principal as they were walking." Ms. James?!" she exclaimed in fright. "Ma'am, I don't have much time. I have to leave now, and I don't know if or when I'll be back." "What are you talking about?! Get back to your classroom or you are fired!" My heart was still throbbing from my run, but it seemed to intensify with this threat. "Do what you have to do…. Just please, call this number in ten minutes," I reached into my purse and pulled out Detective Gordon's card. I also used the pen in the same pocket to write the name _Maroni_ on the back. "What are you? I don't have time for this. Consider yourself terminated from this moment…" she started to walk away, but I clutched her arm forcefully and shoved the card in her hand. "For God's sake! This is a matter of life and death! Just do as I say!" Her face showed shock and disbelief at my outburst and she nodded.

The back door was through the kitchen, and I managed to get there by the deadline given by the mobster. As I walked down the stairs, I saw the same black SUV from the day before. The back door of the car opened and Maroni himself was in the back seat waiting for me. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me yelling, "Ms. James?!" Horrified, I looked behind me and saw our resource officer coming out the door. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" I then heard another car door open and I heard a gunshot. "No!" I screamed as he fell down the stairs, with blood trailing underneath him. My screams were only stifled by a hand and I was dragged back to the SUV, causing my rib to flare in pain as I was shoved inside. "Enough!" Maroni yelled in my face, causing me to gasp. "This is what happens when you cross me, so shut up!" Even though I fought to silence my sobs, I had to hold my hands to my mouth to control it. _God, please, don't let anyone else get hurt. _

I felt a hand slide behind my neck, causing me to jump. Maroni then grasped the back of my hair and pulled me toward him. "So…" he whispered in my ear, "what do you think we should do with you? I was going to offer you a chance to work for me yesterday, but after your little…stunt, I don't think that's going to work. You really did a number on Phil, you know…." The longer that he talked, the sorer my body became between my hair being pulled and the awkward angle that he was forcing me to maintain. He finally released me and allowed me to move back to my seat. I tried to put as much space between myself and him as possible, but in these tight quarters, that wasn't going to be much.

Salvadore noticed this and chuckled a little, rubbing his chin in thought. "Hey Phil?" "Yeah, boss?" the man in the front passenger seat responded. "I believe that Ms. James owes you an apology, doesn't she?" He grabbed the nap of my neck again, "Come on, now sweetheart, say you're sorry…" I didn't want to seem like a completely compliant captive, but I knew that if I did anything to upset the situation, he would kill me. So, I said with as calm a voice as I could muster, "I apologize for injuring you, sir. I hope that you can forgive me." This caused Maroni to erupt in laughter, while the driver looked in the rearview mirror in confusion and Phil looked back at him and back to the front, shaking his head. Salvadore wiped his eye as his laughter subsided. "You…. are something… Ms. Prim-and-proper, huh? You may not have looks, but you certainly have manners. I'm sure my Ma would have wanted you as a daughter-in-law." I felt his large hand on my thigh, and I tried to get away from him. But his hand was firmly planted there for another second before withdrawing it. I unconsciously shivered and plastered myself against the car door. Salvadore laughed wickedly and said, "Phil, I think I figured out what to do with Ms. James here, and I think you're gonna like it."


	19. Chapter 19 Trigger Warning

_Disclaimer - *Trigger warning for sexual assault* To avoid, skip to Chapter 20_

_Outside Bamonte's Restaurant_

"Why here, boss? Won't it be easy for someone to find her here?" the driver asked as he pulled up in front of Bamonte's restaurant. "That's the point. She needs to be found, it's just a matter of when." Maroni said with a hint of venom in his voice and a smile fit for a snake. "Phil, you take our guest up and enjoy yourself. We'll go visit Penguin's lovely mother; if that doesn't get his attention, nothing will." "No, please…" I pleaded, "Do what you want with me, just don't hurt her." Maroni chuckled and used his hand to grasp my chin tightly. He examined my face, "Hmmph, you really are too good for that little freak." I whispered, "No, I'm not good enough for anyone." He released my face and said, "Phil, you better take her before I change my mind." A couple of seconds later, I was dragged out of the SUV.

_Inside Felicity's old apartment_

Despite my efforts, I couldn't get away from my new captor. Even with his injury, he was far to strong for me to fight; even without the gun that he held at my side. After getting the door open, Phil shoved me down to the ground, causing me to gasp in pain after landing on my side. The door was closed and locked behind him. This was the first moment that I was able to examine him. He was about 6'0, with short blonde hair and had a physique of a professional wrestler. I was able to see a bandage on his right arm, unconsciously I reached toward it. Suddenly I was struck across the face and saw stars. As I was stunned, I was lifted from the ground and thrown on my old bed; this knocked the wind out of my lungs. A large shadow walked toward me; one I couldn't escape from.

I heard the unsheathing of a switch blade and the ripping of fabric. I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable. _Fight! Fight! Fight!_ My mind was screaming at me to do something, but then the rational side of my brain _He has a knife AND a gun! There's NOTHING I can do… What's more important? My virtue or my survival?_ _Just cooperate and you may get out alive. _Despite my rationale, I couldn't help but cry out, "Please! Don't do this! Stop! Stop it! STOP IT!" My screams fell on deaf ears as my assaulter ripped my clothing, cutting my flesh in the process. I couldn't stop my furious crying and he hit me again across the face, my world was suddenly engulfed in blackness.


	20. Chapter 20

"GCPD!" A shout and a crash woke me up suddenly. Small wood pieces flew into the room as someone kicked open the door. My assaulter was on top of me but was quickly thrown off. "Felicity! Felicity are you okay?" a familiar voice said with a forceful and raised voice. I looked for the source of the voice, to find Jim Gordon standing before me pointing a gun at Jimmy on the floor. I tried to cover myself with the available blanket, wincing as the cuts grazed the fabric. Remembering that he asked me a question, I nodded. "You're under arrest!" Gordon yelled as he shoved Jimmy to the wall, next to the radiator to handcuff him to it. After making sure he was secure, the detective walked over to me and put his gun in his holster. "Let's get out of here, okay?" Fortunately, the blanket was able to cover me up enough to leave with the detective.

I stepped outside, shivering from the chill of the winter day as well as my experience. I could swear that the tears on my face were freezing in place. Gordon put me in the back of his car and used his radio to call for someone to 'pick up the suspect' as well as calling an ambulance. After confirming, the detective got in the driver's seat and cleared his throat. "You can stay here out of the cold till the ambulance gets here okay?" I nodded, although all I wanted to do was to go home.

_Later that night_

_Felicity's apartment_

I finally felt sweet relief when I locked my apartment door behind me. The bandages around my arms, legs and torso were itchy and I wanted to take them off. A shower was also first on my list to wash away the filth of my assault as well as the examination that I was required to endure afterward. My clothes were confiscated for evidence as well as the old blanket that was stiff from my dry blood. I left after putting on some spare clothes that were available from the hospital; I couldn't justify staying since I no longer had a job to help pay for the medical bills.

The shower was both soothing and painful, reopening most of the cuts. But I was sent home with extra bandages to re-dress my body. After doing so, to the best of my ability, I heard a knock at my front door as I put on my night clothes over the bandages. I saw a beautiful woman through my peep hole. Her short, raven hair was complementary with her perfect olive skin and her large, dark eyes. She was wearing a suit with a skirt, under a nice winter coat. I heard her through the door, "Ms. James? I'm Leslie Thompkins, the medical examiner from the GCPD. Detective Gordon asked me to come by and check on you." I opened the door and invited her inside with a gesture of my arm, feeling quite inadequate compared to the beautiful creature before me. "Thank you," she said with a kind voice, "How are you feeling? You just left the hospital didn't you." "Yes, ma'am," I said with a pathetic voice, feeling self-conscious in more ways than one.

"Jim, I mean, Detective Gordon asked me to come and see if you need someone to talk to." She also seemed to notice the sloppy job that I did on my right arm with the bandages, since I'm right-handed. "I'm trained in crisis counseling, and I'll be glad to help you with your bandages, if you'd like." I unconsciously tried to fix the bandage myself, when she gently touched my hand. She looked at me in the eyes and said, "I'm so sorry about what's happened to you." I couldn't keep her gaze, and I looked down. I chewed my bottom lip and felt tears stream down my face. It was amazing how many times I had cried in the past few weeks, but at the same time I've always been a natural crybaby. "Thank you," I whispered as I tried to wipe my tears with my free hand.

Dr. Thompkins spent a couple of hours in my apartment. She fixed the bandages and encouraged me to talk about my experience as well as other troubles in my mind. This was the first person, besides Ozzie, that I felt comfortable enough to open up to. Besides the counselor that I had seen a couple of years ago, I usually just stifled my emotions till they spill over when I was alone. The weight of my concerns felt lighter the longer that we talked. I could see a flash of concern and disapproval when I talked to her about my relationship with Ozzie, but I disregarded it. He had been a true friend to me, and I deeply cared about him. But I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to stay with me after what happened. Despite this, as he re-entered my thoughts, I wanted to see him and to hold him. But I suddenly remembered what Maroni said about Ozzie's mother and I felt panic grip my chest. I had to warn him. "Dr. Thompkins, thank you so much for helping me tonight. It means more to me than you know. But I don't want to keep you out any longer, I'm sure you need to get some sleep." Her face was confused, "Are you sure? You'll be okay tonight?" "Yes ma'am. Thank you again, so much." "Alright," she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a card, "Make sure that you give me a call if you want to talk again." Once she left, I put on my winter coat over my pajamas and threw on some shoes. By the time I was done with that, the hallway was empty, and I was able to rush downstairs.

_Oswald's Club_

As I entered the club, I was suddenly quite self-conscious about my appearance. But thankfully, there weren't too many patrons there so I could focus on my mission. As I rounded the corner of the bar, I froze in my tracks. There was Maroni, seated at a small table in the middle of the club. I also saw Mrs. Kapelput sitting there laughing with him and obviously flirting. Terror gripped me like a vice and attempted to either keep me frozen and silent or to run. But seeing Ozzie's mother in danger caused anger to thaw me. I stood up straight and started walking toward the two. I saw a couple of Ozzie's associates looking at me with shock on their face out of the corner of my eye, Anthony froze his cleaning and tried to get my attention. But I couldn't hesitate now, otherwise I would abandon my resolve. The two didn't notice me until I had reached their table. "Mrs. Kapelput!" I squeaked out, trying to sound casual, "It's been so long!" The two looked up at me, the woman with a look of confusion while the man looked at me with nonchalant surprise. "Well, look who's here!" Maroni said with a patronizing tone, "Mrs. James! I'm surprised to see you here!" I could see rage in his eyes, but he kept the façade of calm confidence in his body. I saw him hold Mrs. Kapelput's hand a little tighter and she misread this as affection instead of a trap.

It took all of my willpower to keep my emotions in control as I struggled to continue talking. "..Y..yes, well I was..h..hoping…to speak with Mrs. Kapelput alone for a minute," I directed my voice to her, "Mrs. Kapelput, may I talk to you for a minute?" I offered my hand to her, hoping that she would take it. "Wait…" she said with her thick accent, "You're that girl…that came earlier…" I realized my mistake in that moment, I should have told her that Oswald wanted to talk to her, not me. I remembered that she didn't like me, so she wouldn't want to come with me. But it was too late for me to change my ruse. My mind scrambled to find something to say to convince her to leave with me. As I was thinking, Maroni leaned forward toward me and said, "So, how's Jimmy treating you?"

I knew that he was trying to scare me into submission, but it had the reverse affect on me. I started to see red and took a deep breath while clinching my fists. "He's _fine_," I said through my teeth, "I'm sure he's enjoying his time in the GCPD." Maroni's smile snapped to an angry frown. "Oh really?" he asked. I realized my second error that had suddenly turned the situation into a more precarious one. I was provoking the shark, and he was holding on to an innocent woman. I had to get her away from him. "Mrs. Kapelput, please…" I offered my hand again, "It'll only be a moment, and you can come back." She shook her head, "No! I have nothing to say to you!" her arm batted away my hand and she turned her attention back to Maroni. His face resumed his fake smiles and he said to me, "Why don't you join us?"


	21. Chapter 21

_Oswald's Club_

The situation was probably the worst it could be. Here I was, face-to-face with the dangerous man that abducted me twice and had an innocent woman as a hostage. My instincts were shouting at me to make a run for it, but my heart couldn't leave her. _Think! Think! Do Something!_ I suddenly got an idea, now to see if it would work. I saw that there were two glasses of champagne on the table, if I were to knock it over on her, she would have to go to the bathroom to clean up. "Well?" Maroni asked impatiently, "Join us!" I nodded and allowed my body to shiver from my adrenaline, hopefully he would see it as nervousness. I went to the other table to grab a chair, this my chance. As I pulled the chair back, I made sure that my backside hit the table at which they were sitting at hard. This caused the table to shake violently and thankfully I heard Mrs. Kapelput gasp loudly and shout in distress after the glasses were knocked over. "Oh! My dress!" She cried as she stood up suddenly. Maroni was also caught by the spilled drinks and stood up as well. I quickly grabbed Mrs. Kapelput's arm and said loudly, "Oh my! I am so sorry! Here, let's get you cleaned up in the bathroom!" I was able to get her away from the dangerous mobster and toward the restroom. As we were walking, suddenly I felt a hand grab my other arm and I unconsciously jerked away violently, ready to defend myself and Ozzie's mother.

My arm hit a familiar figure that whispered forcefully, "Hey, hey, it's okay.." I realized that it was Butch, not Maroni or his other men. A tidal wave of relief overwhelmed me as I asked him to take her to safety, I released her arm and started to head back. "Wait!" he said earnestly, "What about you?" "I can't leave, he'll come after her again. It's better me than her." Mrs. Kapelput obviously didn't understand what was going on, but with her dress, she didn't argue about going to the restroom, so she kept going. As for Butch, he refused to leave me alone with Maroni. My nerves caught up to me and caused me to start shaking, but I had to do this to save Mrs. Kapelput. I walked back to the obviously furious mobster, who was now sitting and glaring at me. "You…you have some nerve, you know that? I ought to cut your throat right where you stand. But, I won't because it'll be so much sweeter if your lover were here to witness it." "He isn't my lover." I said with a shaky voice. "What?" "I said, we aren't lovers. We were friends in school, and nothing more." He examined my face, then had a look of revelation, "Maybe not, but you wish he were, don't you? See, that's good enough for me. Sit!" He accentuated the final word, and I couldn't find a way out.

"Felicity!" I heard ringing through the restaurant. I looked at the source and saw Ozzie limping toward myself and Maroni. Again, I felt relief, but this time it was short lived. Because Maroni grabbed my arm and forced me to stay in my chair. This caused me to wince since he grabbed one of my deeper cuts. Ozzie's face was one of restrained concern, his smile obviously forced. "Please Oswald, come and join us!" Maroni insisted as he tightened his hold. Ozzie saw this and took a chair and put it next to me. "This is nice, huh?" the mobster began, "All of us here. Let's all have a drink, after all the last one has been wasted." He tightened his grip on my arm again, causing me to again wince with the sharp pain. Ozzie noticed and his face was one of bewilderment, I assumed it was because he didn't know about my earlier assault. To keep the situation from escalating to a dangerous level, I decided to keep him in the dark, by playing along.

After Anthony brought us a bottle of some drink that I didn't recognize and poured three glasses, Maroni took a drink and continued, "So…Felicity…why don't you tell me about Oswald as a kid? You were childhood friends, right? I bet he was a cute little rug rat…" I looked at Ozzie, hoping that he would find a way to get us out of this situation. "Don Maroni, I'm afraid that Ms. James needs to be going, she has work in the morning." He used his hand to try to lift me from my chair by my arm, causing another wince and sharp inhale from me. Ozzie withdrew his hand like it was on fire and looked at me with a bewildered look. "Okay, enough dancing around, let's just cut to the chase. Ms. James, how well do you think you know Oswald here? The…current Oswald…" "Stop!" Ozzie interjected. "What…do you mean?" I asked. He smiled and said, "Well, I can't blame you, you aren't his mother. Oswald Cobblepot…" "Don Maroni, I'm warning you!" Ozzie exclaimed, but Maroni continued, "is a cold-blooded psychopath. I can't tell how many men he's killed. My own friend, Frankie Carbone, he stabbed him a dozen times. What kind of a person plunges a knife into someone over and over?" As he was talking, I saw Ozzie's eyes morph from anger to despair. "He's a filthy liar!" he cried desperately as he grasped my hand.

"Ozzie!" I said sternly, afterward mentally kicking myself for using his nickname in front of his enemy. I looked into his eyes and tears started to stream down my face. Deep in my heart, I knew that everything that Salvadore Maroni said was true. I was certain that not only had he murdered Frankie Carbone, but he also murdered my first attacker and Ethan, my former fiancé. I found myself in love with a monster, but I couldn't let him be hurt by the mobster next to me. My mind raced to find a way out of the situation. _Obviously, Maroni wants to hurt Ozzie by turning me against him, and I'm sure that's what he was planning with his mother. So, if he thinks he's succeeded, maybe he'll leave. I'm sorry Ozzie…_ I allowed myself to gasp and then snatch my hand away from his and asked with a tight voice, "Is it true? Tell me it isn't true!" He looked at me, his face pleading with mine, obviously struggling to find the right words. "I…I'm just a nightclub owner…." This was the moment that I dreaded the most, I allowed my hand to strike his cheek. He put his hand on the now red handprint and his jaw was slack. The hurt in his eyes was almost too much to bear, but I had to keep going. I stood up and yelled, "Don't lie to me! Don't you dare lie to me, Oswald Cobblepot! How could you!?" I saw him try to get up and reach me, but I jerked myself away from him and whispered, "How could you?" and I fled to the back office.

The door was locked, but I was still grateful for a place to hide. The small hallway was out of sight from the rest of the bar. I fought to calm my racing heart and my emotions while falling to my knees. I prayed to God for protection over Ozzie and his mother and deliverance. I heard Ozzie say, "You'll pay for this!" I couldn't hear the words that Maroni replied, but soon I heard Mrs. Kapelput saying, "Oh! There's my Oswald! Where did Mr. Maroni go? What's wrong, my son?" I debated on whether to reveal myself now, or to talk to Ozzie later. My decision was to wait; I didn't want to upset Mrs. Kapelput anymore, but it ached my heart to make Ozzie believe that I hated him. But I thanked God that He gave me the wisdom to get out of that situation and that he gave me the strength to save Ozzie's mother. I rushed to the back staircase and made it to my apartment without being seen. My bed was a haven and I was grateful that I had it for one more night, at least.


	22. Chapter 22

_The next morning_

_Felicity's Apartment_

My alarm went off the same as any other day. But it wasn't till after I got dressed that I remembered what transpired at the school yesterday. No longer was I a teacher, and now I was faced with a stifling uncertainty. _What should I do now?_ _There's no way that Ozzie will allow me to stay here after what happened. I'll be homeless unless I find some way to support myself._ I've worked at random jobs prior to getting my teaching license, so there's that option. But then I remembered the idea I had a while ago. _Will it work? I guess there's only one way to find out, what do I have to lose?_ Fortunately, I was given Gabe and Butch's phone numbers in case of an emergency. I first called Butch, no answer. Then I called Gabe, "Hello? Gabe, this is Ms. James…how's Ozzie? No, I don't need to talk to him yet. But I do need to talk to you, I need your help. Can you come to the apartment alone to talk? Thanks, see you in a little bit."

_One hour later_

"Thank you so much, Gabe. There's no way that I would be able to put this off without your help." "No problem, Ms. J. So, I'll fill Madeline and Brian in on the plan and get everything ready for you." We both stood up from the two chairs in the living room and I walked him to the door. "Are you sure that you don't want to just talk to the boss? He actually seemed to be in a good mood." This confused me, I was certain that he would be furious; but I was grateful that he wasn't. This would make my plan more feasible. "No, this is how it needs to be. If he doesn't know it's me, then I have a chance." His face showed that he didn't believe me, but he nodded anyway. Just before I closed the door behind me, he reminded me to be down in one hour. I confirmed the reminder by smiling and thanking him for his help again. When I was alone in my apartment, I decided to go ahead and start packing, just in case my plan didn't work.

_One hour later_

It was now time to execute my plan. For years I had been taking vocal lessons, continuing at the school in which I worked. That is why I was always so early, so I could meet my teacher and have my lessons prior to the students' arrival. It was now time to use this secret to try to earn a new living. Madeline was a waitress in the club, and Brian was a guitar player that was already on the payroll. Both happened to be close to the club that morning and Gabe was able to ask them to come in to help with the plan. I met with them behind the stage to give them the details. They seemed to be quite nervous, worried that Ozzie would fire them or worse; but I assured them that I would take the blame for everything. Of course, it was true that this plan was quite unusual, and I had never attempted anything like this before. However, as I remembered before, there was nothing to lose.

I adjusted the mask on Madeline's face, making sure that her face wouldn't be visible while on stage. She nodded her head and took the microphone from my hand. After making one final eye contact, she turned and walked on the stage. I took the other microphone and nodded toward the sound operator, he returned the expression and then lifted his thumb in confirmation.

After a moment, I heard Brian's guitar playing a simple accompaniment. As the notes rang through the club, nerves fluttered throughout my stomach and required me to take deep breaths to suppress. Then, I heard the chord that I was waiting for, and I started singing into my microphone:

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens

Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche

Voilà le portrait sans retouche

De l'homme auquel j'appartiens

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

Il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en rose

As my voice echoed through the space, I took the chance and looked at Ozzie through the curtain, hoping to see his reaction. I was careful not to show myself, but I was able to see him.

Il me dit des mots d'amour

Des mots de tous les jours

Et ça me fait quelque chose

His face seemed concerned at first, but it started melting into awe the longer the song went. This encouraged me to keep going.

Il est entré dans mon cœur

Une part de bonheur

Dont je connais la cause

C'est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie

Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie

Et dès que je l'aperçois

Alors je sens en moi

Mon cœur qui...

Brian took this break in the song to play the transition between verses. This allowed me to remember all the feelings that had been awakened in me in the past few weeks. Our reunion in the cold rain, our first dance here in the club, his visits to the hospital, his face when he gave me the apartment, our first kiss… This is when the end of the interlude was about to conclude, and I held these emotions in my heart as I sang:

Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is La vie en rose

When you kiss me heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see La vie en rose

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

And when you speak...angels sing from above

Everyday words seem...to turn into love songs

Il est entré dans mon cœur

Une part de bonheur

Mon cœur qui bat

The guitar played the final notes of the song, causing a moment of silence. I was afraid to look at Ozzie as the silence strangled me, causing me to hold my breath. Then, I heard clapping. I looked out and saw Ozzie standing and applauding. "Alright," he said when he finished his applause, "You're hired. Now will you please remove your mask, and Butch here will get your information so you can get started." I was practically giddy behind the stage, and it took all my willpower not to squeal in delight. But, now came the moment of truth. I saw Madeline reach up and remove her mask. I looked at Ozzie's face, and it was one of utter confusion. It was nice to see it on his face for once, instead of on mine. Of course, I knew why he was confused.

Before putting on the mask, Madeline allowed me to duct tape her mouth shut. So now, Ozzie saw that Madeline couldn't have been singing. "What is this?!" He exclaimed in annoyance; I knew that he didn't like to be made a fool of. I took this as my cue, and I used my microphone to sing the final phrase of the song again. My feet led me out on the stage, and Ozzie's face changed from vexation to dumbfounded. I couldn't help but smile at his face as I finished the song. I giggled as he snapped his head from looking at Butch to back at me. "Fee?...Wha…?" I looked at Madeline and thanked her as she removed the duct tape from her mouth. She touched my arm and whispered, "Good luck," as she walked off the stage. Brian followed her, leaving me there alone in the spotlight. It had been a long time since I had felt so vulnerable and liberated at the same time.

"Oswald…" I said, putting down the microphone on the nearby mic stand. I went down the small set of stairs on the side of the stage and he met me at the front of the stage. Now that we were close, I was able to say, "Ozzie, I'm so sorry for what happened yesterday. I…that's the only way I could think of to get away from Maroni. I didn't want to…" He didn't say anything, so I kept going. "Listen, I understand if you want me to leave. But I just want you to know that I still care about you. Can we talk about everything? Talk about where we stand?" After a minute, he cleared his throat. "You…you can sing?" he asked with a breathy voice. I nodded and smiled with a little embarrassment. This is when his face changed from pleasant surprise, to vexation again. "Fee, I don't want you working here." "Don't look at it as working, then…" I countered, "I lost my job, Ozzie. I need to work. This way, I can repay you in some part, 'return the favor' as friends do…" I knew by using his own phrasing, that he couldn't disagree with me. I watched his face change as he thought about what I was saying. It finally resolved into acceptance, "Alright…you can perform here." I couldn't hold back, and I tackled him in an embrace. After the initial shock, he returned the hug. "On one condition…" he said in my ear, "You'll sing for me again…" I laughed and agreed.

*La Vie En Rose - By Edith Piaf, Louis Guglielmi, and Mack David

Copyright Universal - Polygram International Pub Inc. and Sony/ATV Tunes LLC o/b/o Editions Beuscher Arpege*


	23. Chapter 23

_The following morning_

_Felicity's apartment_

We agreed to have breakfast in my apartment, and I asked him to bring his mother. Although he wanted to take us to a restaurant, I insisted on cooking. I wouldn't describe myself as a chef, but I could make decent pancakes. While mixing the batter, my thoughts ended up going down a less than pleasant road. I remembered making breakfast for Ethan, back before things turned south. He would tease me, and I would hold his food hostage till he apologized. He would then embrace me from behind and kiss my cheek. It was memories like these that made me mourn what was lost. Despite the later manipulation, I couldn't help but miss those moments.

As I continued to cook, I debated on whether to confront Ozzie about the deaths of Ethan and my first attacker. It took me a minute to remember that Detective Bullock said his nickname was Leech. I felt nausea as I thought about Oswald being responsible for their deaths. Was he really a monster like Maroni said? I didn't want to believe it, my heart refused to believe it. _Besides, he may not know a thing about it_. _Maybe it's all one terrible coincidence._ Part of my mind chastised me as being a stupid fool to believe that was even a possibility. _If he did do this, what is he capable of? I don't want to be a victim again, but I don't want him to be alone. I know that after I left, he was probably tormented and damaged. I can't do that to him again. _

Then there was the matter of Mrs. Kapelput. My mind again scolded me for being stupid in trying to reconcile with her. _She obviously hates you, and who can blame her? Her son deserves so much better than you._ But I cared about her too, she had to raise Ozzie all by herself and she was kind to me as a child. Her love for her son was obvious, though sometimes it seemed on a disturbing level. I reasoned it as due to the loneliness that they both felt, so they clung to each other through the years. I wanted to show both of them that even though there is danger and ugliness in the world, there's also beauty and kindness; it's just difficult and painful to find. I found it through my faith, and I hoped to help them find it too.

A knock at the door woke me from my thoughts. Fortunately, I had already set the table and the food was ready. I removed my apron and went to answer the door. There was Ozzie, dressed to impress with a black tuxedo, his unique tie held in place with a ruby pin. His vest was red and purple with a scale like pattern, while a pale blue handkerchief was visible from his jacket pocket. His mother was wearing an old-fashioned dress with pastel lace draped over her, her hair was just as wild as it was the night before and she had an uncomfortable look on her face. This was the last thing I wanted for the meeting, so I gave her my most warm smile and offered my hand to her. "Mrs. Kapelput, Please forgive me for the other night. I hope that your dress wasn't ruined by my clumsiness, I am truly sorry." She looked at me with suspicion, but she took my hand and I led her inside gently. "Please come in, I'm so glad that you both came." I led her to one of the chairs at the table and helped her to sit.

It was then that I allowed my attention to turn to Ozzie, his face showed appreciation and he smiled. This made all of my earlier thoughts seem to vanish from my mind. _How can he have this power over me? I really am a weakling…_ He surprised me by presenting me with a bouquet of roses, they were pale lavender and absolutely beautiful. I gasped and exclaimed, "Thank you so much Oswald!" I remembered to use his proper name in front of his mother. After smelling them, I asked him to have a seat. Fortunately, I now had a vase to place them in since the irises died. I placed the vase on the countertop that was next to the small table, so that it wouldn't take up too much room. "Isn't this nice, Mother?" She nodded and shifted in her chair. "I hope that the food is okay, I won't promise that it's as good as yours." I said as I brought the plates of pancakes and sausage. After serving both of them and sitting down, I continued, "I remember the time that I got sick for a week… you were so kind to send me soup. It was so delicious and helped so much." I saw a small spark in her eyes, like she was remembering something pleasant. "Do you remember that Mother?" Ozzie asked with a hopeful voice. After a moment, she said, "Yes, it was my grandmother's recipe for goulash." I saw her smile at me, and my heart soared.

We were able to have a pleasant meal. Although they obviously weren't too impressed with my cooking skills, we were still able to laugh about it. It seemed that Mrs. Kapelput needed a little help to remember me from when her son and I were children. This allowed our time to be filled with more laughter and happy memories. After finishing the meal, I stood up to clear the table. While holding the plates in my hands, I suggested that they sit in the living room while I clean the dishes. Normally I would wait, but I thought that this would give them a chance to be alone; which I myself appreciated periodically. I put on my apron again to wash the dishes and as I was scrubbing, I felt a hand on my shoulder. This caused me to jump a little and turn my head to see who was there. It was Ozzie, with his jacket off. "Let me help you." I didn't argue since I was glad to have the help. After telling him where the dish towels were stored, he helped dry the clean dishes. As we were working, he asked, "Why were you at the club the other night? And with Maroni?"

This question took me by surprise, and I didn't think of an answer beforehand, so I had to come up with an answer quickly. "I…was looking for you. I had just lost my job…and…I needed someone to talk to…" Ozzie responded with a confused voice, "Why did you lose your job anyway? You mentioned it yesterday, but you never explained." It took me a second to find an answer that would spare him the details of my assault. "They just found a more qualified teacher to take my place, that's all…" "Felicity…" he said with his scolding tone, "please don't lie to me…" I felt his hand on my shoulder again and he gently turned me to face him. The dish water was dripping from my hands onto the tile, but he didn't seem to care. "I...I can't tell you…" He took his hands and firmly grabbed my arms, much like he did when I told him I was moving years ago. This caused me to wince as his fingers squeezed my cuts through my sleeves. He released me like I was on fire. "Fee? What's wrong? For God's sake, please tell me."

I couldn't hide it any longer. I rolled up one of my sleeves to show him my bandages. He inhaled sharply and quickly left the kitchen. I heard him open the front door and talk to someone, then I heard him say, "Mother, Butch will take you home now…I need to speak with Felicity. I'll see you tonight, alright?" After a moment, I heard the front door close and Ozzie's uneven gait walking back to the kitchen. His eyes were flashing in anger, but he struggled to keep his voice calm, "What happened? And don't lie to me."


	24. Chapter 24

_Felicity's Apartment_

It was the most difficult conversation that I had ever had in my life. On the one hand, I didn't want to upset Ozzie so that he would be led to confront the dangerous mobster; but on the other, he just told me not to lie. That statement made me realize that he knew me as untruthful, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. So, I invited him to sit on the couch, while I sat across from him on one of the chairs. It took a few moments to calm my throbbing heart and to steel my nerves so that I could revisit my terrible experience. "Okay…" I sighed and clinched my hands on my lap.

The longer my story continued, the more Ozzie's face melted from concerned anticipation to rage and fury. After telling him about the assault by Maroni's henchman, I could see veins popping from Ozzie's forehead and his eyes burning. I've only seen him this angry once before when one of our classmates made fun of his mother in the 5th grade. The next morning, the boy was found in an alley close to his apartment with a kitchen knife in his stomach. I always suspected that Ozzie was involved, but I couldn't bring myself to ask him about it. Now, as an adult, who knows what he's capable of? Thankfully I couldn't give him too many details since I was unconscious for part of it.

Despite this, the memory caused me to break down and my sobs took over the narrative. I covered my face to hide my shame, no longer able to keep my composure in front of the man I cared for. Showing this weakness of emotion was almost more than I could bear, and I wanted to hide away from the world. My legs acted on this compulsion and I got up to flee to the bedroom. But I didn't get far before I felt Ozzie grasp my hand, arresting me to the spot. As emotional as I was in that moment, I fought his hold and tried to yank my hand away from his; but his hand got tighter and firmly pulled me down toward the couch. "Let me go!" I cried like a child. But he didn't comply, instead he placed his other hand on the back of my head and pulled it to his shoulder and held it there tightly.

It took a few minutes to calm down enough to look up and apologize again for ruining his clothes. He didn't respond this time but looked at me with his intense gaze. His lips were pursed together, but then he whispered, "Fee, he will never touch you ever again. I _swear it_." He said the last words through clinched teeth. "Detective Gordon arrested him…" I said with a tired voice, my fit exhausted me. Ozzie sharply inhaled and gave a relieved smile but didn't respond. I took a deep breath and continued my story. The story finished with the moment that Ozzie found me with Maroni. "You…you saved my mother…" Ozzie said with a stunned voice. I looked away from him, not able to receive any admiration for my actions. After all, I was a weak person that didn't deserve it. I had heard of Fish Mooney's mighty rule over not only herself but also her associates. She had power over everyone and earned their respect, women like her should be admired for their accomplishments; not me, who couldn't defend herself from a random man and abducted not once, but twice in two days. Frankly I was mortified at my uselessness.

I felt Ozzie's fingers on my chin, and he gently made me look at him. "Thank you…" he said with tears in his eyes. I shook my head, "I just got lucky and I'm glad that she's okay." He pulled me in for a tight embrace. My arms clung to the back of his vest and the warmth of his chest started to sooth my insecurity. After a few moments, Ozzie asked, "Fee…I need you to stay here for a while, will you do that for me?" I took myself out of the embrace and looked at him with confusion on my face. "I've heard…" he continued, "that things are going to get dangerous around this area. There will be a war between Falcone and Maroni, so you need to stay here and stay safe." After processing Ozzie's request as well as his prediction, I said, "But, if that's true we need to do something to stop them don't we?" His face was displeased as he argued, "No. After all that's happened to you, the last thing that you need to do is to get in trouble again. Please…" he took my hands in his, "do it for me. My associates will make sure to get you anything you need."

Part of me found this request completely insane. _How could he ask me to stay cooped up here while Hell breaks loose outside?!_ _We should tell the police, warn the people around this area, anything to help. I may not be a doctor or cop, but I want to do something! But what?_ I could see Ozzie waiting for me to give him an answer. "How long?" "A week for sure, I'll let you know if it needs to be longer." _With my injuries, that will give me enough time to recover. That'll also give me time to figure out how to help_. _Hopefully I won't get cabin fever…_ I swallowed and then finally replied, "Okay…" His face lit up with glee, "I promise this is for your own good, and it won't be long." He cupped my cheek with his hand and caressed it with his thumb. "Ozzie, what are you going to do? Are you going to get involved?" "Oh!" he leaned back and made a gesture, like he was swatting away the question, "Of course not! I'll just be running the club and making sure that things stay smooth there." I doubted this very much, especially if he already knew about the 'war'. _Looks like he's lying this time._ But I was grateful that he allowed me to stay and recover; the past few weeks have been rough on my body, not being a fit or conditioned person.

"Forgive me, Fee, but I have to get going; I have a meeting to discuss a business proposition." I nodded and stood up. He also got up, but a little too fast and almost fell over the coffee table. But I was able to react fast enough to catch him by holding his arms to steady him. His face showed embarrassment and he mumbled, "Thank you…" Upon releasing him, He straightened his vest, seemingly trying to regain his dignity. He limped toward the door, and I felt a strong compulsion to stop him. "Ozzie…" He turned toward me, "Can I see you tonight? I want to talk to you about something important." "Unfortunately, I won't be available tonight; but I'll come and see you tomorrow night, okay?" I nodded and opened the door for him. Before leaving, he again touched my cheek and brought his face toward me. This brought a sudden jolt of pleasurable anticipation from my toe all the way to the top of my head. I closed my eyes, waiting for his kiss; I felt his lips on my cheek, causing me to smile. My eyes opened to see his face slowly backing away from me, his pale eyes looking tenderly into mine. "Stay safe…" he whispered before leaving.


	25. Chapter 25

_Felicity's Apartment_

_Later that day_

_Now where is his card?_ I asked myself as I looked through the drawer in my nightstand. It took a few seconds, but there was the GCPD business card with Detective Gordon's contact information. If what Ozzie said was true, then I'm responsible to inform the authorities. With this information, they can prepare and hopefully save a lot of people. _Besides,_ I thought sarcastically, _it's not like I have anything better to do…_ I gave Detective Gordon the information that I was given, but I didn't tell him that the information came from Ozzie. Fortunately, he did believe me; I guess that with my recent run ins with one of the mobsters it added some credibility to my story. He said that he would take the information to the captain and that they would take the next action. Gordon didn't sound like he was really focused on the conversation, but that didn't matter. I was able to give the information and that was the goal.

_Three days later_

_I'm going to go insane_. I have been cooped up in this apartment for three days now. Fortunately, I had enough groceries to get me through. But I missed the outside world, even if it was less than picturesque. Even though Ozzie promised to come see me, he didn't show up the second night. The one good thing about staying put was that my body finally had the chance to really recover. Most of my cuts have finally healed for the most part and my fractured rib was now just a dull ache that was fading with each passing day. Constructive occupation was what I craved most besides company. So, I had looked through my sheet music to pick out some selections for the club, I called my family, I read a book, listened to the radio; but these occupations soon ended, leaving me with the silent and empty space. As I was counting the number of ceiling tiles in the living room for the fourth time in three days, I suddenly had an idea. This would allow me to stay here like Ozzie requested, but would allow me some company. Again, my nightstand was rummaged for hidden treasures and I soon found what I was seeking.

_Later that night_

I couldn't believe it was really happening. It was surprising that not only did Dr. Thompkins remember me from the previous week, but she was willing to come see me. Part of me was worried that she could be in danger with the gang wars, but she assured me that she would be alright. I was finishing setting the table when I heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it, I saw one of the several associates of Ozzie's that was posted at my door. "Ms. James? There's someone from the GCPD to see you, a man." "What? A man? I was expecting a woman. Who is it?" "Says his name is…Niggy? Nigle?" "It's Nygma! Edward Nygma!" I heard from behind the man I was speaking to. He stepped aside and I saw the forensics worker from the GCPD that had asked me those riddles before. His tall, thin frame was dressed in a dress shirt that looked pale green from a distance and a dark tie over khaki pants and brown shoes. He was obviously annoyed at the botching of his name, but he still smiled at me behind his large glasses. I reassured the Ozzie's associate and invited Mr. Nygma inside. As he passed Ozzie's man, Edward threw a sharp glare toward him.

"You're probably wondering why I am here instead of Dr. Thompkins." This statement took me by surprise, I didn't want to be rude and ask the question myself. I was so grateful for company, at this point it almost didn't matter who was here. Although I had been conversing with Ozzie's associates these three days, they seemed uncomfortable with the conversations; so I took the hint and quit trying. Therefore, I was desperate for any dialog and was pleasantly surprised that it was Mr. Nygma that had shown up; though Dr. Thompkins would have also been quite welcome. "Well," my guest began, "She's unfortunately occupied with a sudden onslaught of cases and she asked me to come in her stead. I hope that this isn't an unpleasant surprise." "Of course not, Mr. Nygma! I'm so grateful that you came! Please, have a seat and I hope that you are hungry. I made dinner."

As usual, I could tell that my cooking wasn't exactly up-to-par; but Mr. Nygma was kind enough to give me some pointers. "Honestly," he said, "I look at it as a chemistry problem more than a recipe. Once you understand the reactions between the ingredients, then you can predict the outcome more effectively." "Chemistry has always been my worst subject…" To break the embarrassing tension, I giggled at my terrible joke. Mr. Nygma seemed to be almost disappointed in my inadequacies of knowledge. But, there was nothing I could do about that in the moment. After putting the dishes in the sink, we sat down in the living room and continued our conversation. He threw in a few riddles here and there, of which I was able to answer a few. The longer we talked, the more I noticed something about the man before me that was different from before. He seemed to have a preoccupation in his mind, like his thoughts were more elsewhere than in the moment. I decided to ask him about it.

"Mr. Nygma, is there something on your mind?" He seemed to be caught off guard with the question. "Oh, don't mind me. Just things going on at work." "I'm sorry for prying, but I was just hoping that I could help. You helped me when I was low last week at the GCPD. You were able to get me out of my situation, even if it was just for a little bit. And…I am truly grateful." I could see the cogs working in his brain through his eyes behind his lenses. He was studying me, seemingly to see if I was to be trusted. After a few moments, he must have decided to share. "There's someone…at the precinct, that I care for…" I smiled at him, but he didn't smile back at me. "But she doesn't seem to return my affections, and she's been in a less than…healthy relationship. I'm worried about her." The subtle pause in his words set off alarm bells in my head for some reason. Probably due to his concern and the seriousness in his tone. "Do you mean, an abusive one?" I asked. Instead of answering, he confirmed my suspicions by nodding.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Speaking from experience, it's hard to get out of that kind of relationship." His eyes seemed to flash in a way that I didn't expect, like he had a secret joke that I was too stupid to figure out. I didn't know why I thought that from his glance but something in my instincts told me so. But without all the facts and information, it was just a hunch on my part. "Have you talked to her about it?" "Actually, he's left her a letter saying that he's gone." "Oh! That's unexpected." A pause. "I want…" he said with a pleading voice, "to be there for her, but she seems to not want my attention." His hands were in tight fists and he seemed to grind his teeth. "Edward," I placed my hand on one of his, "This is probably the last thing you want to hear, but just give her some time. Just…be there for her, but don't smother her. That's what will drive her away even more." He looked at me with an almost hopeless face. I continued, "Again, I would know. After my past relationship, my family smothered me, and I had to get away to move on by myself." I had never admitted that this was one of the main motivations for me to move back to Gotham, so I surprised myself with this confession. Although the job was the main reason, I applied for the job in the first place because of my family's smothering.

"Will you excuse me for a minute? May I use your restroom?" he popped up from his seat like he had to leave the room as soon as possible. "Oh…sure." I told him where to find it and while he was gone, I went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. A few minutes passed and I heard Edward's voice from the restroom. I assumed that he was on the phone, but I didn't hear any pauses in his speech. Normally, when someone is talking on the phone, the person will pause to hear the responses; but Mr. Nygma didn't. It sounded like the entire conversation was with himself. This concerned me, making wonder if he was alright; but I didn't want to embarrass him either, so I decided to leave it alone. He finally came out of the bathroom and I saw him standing outside the doorway of the kitchen. His face seemed quite agitated and he looked like he was trying to maintain his composure. "Ms. James, I hope that you'll forgive me, but I must be going. Thank you for dinner and the conversation."

This made me worried that I crossed a line in offering my advice. "Mr. Nygma, I'm so sorry if I've upset you! Please forgive me." He adjusted his glasses and said with a flustered voice, "No, you don't have to apologize. I…just have to go…" I showed him to the door and wished him the best with his friend. After the door closed, I sighed and kicked myself mentally for screwing up the evening. "I shouldn't have said anything…what do I know?" But my loneliness had been cured and I felt that I would be able to wait the rest of the week for Ozzie's return and my liberation.


	26. Chapter 26

_The next day_

"This just in, notorious mob boss Don Salvadore Maroni has been found dead in an abandoned warehouse on 4th Avenue near the Gotham River, this morning. His body was found along with over a dozen others in what has been described as a massacre. The GCPD is investigating the event and treating it as a possible gang confrontation following the recent killings involving suspected associates of Maroni and Don Carmine Falcone. Though some arrests have been made, the details of the confrontation are still largely unknown. We will keep you updated as the story develops. Back to you, David."

I shut off the television, my ears ringing with the shocking news. _Maroni…is dead?_ It was so difficult to believe, every night I had woken up to nightmares in which his face and Phil's were prominent. He seemed to be a mighty, unstoppable force with laughter that stained my subconscious. I held my arms for comfort, trying to comprehend what this news meant. My mind again was distraught at the violence and what that meant for the people that were gone as well as their families. _God...this city truly is veiled in darkness. _Although I feared Maroni, I never wanted him dead. My mind was foggy with regret and concern as I got dressed. Unexpectedly, I heard a knock at the door.

Fortunately, I had enough time to finish getting dressed when I went to look through the peephole. There, dressed to impress, was my best friend. He was looking away from me, but it was obvious that it was him by his onyx colored hair and the impressive suit, complete with stark white cuffs. My relief was strong, but my anger toward him for seemingly forgetting about me for an entire week was still fresh in my mind. My mind was constantly in battle while in the apartment between wanting to keep my promise to Ozzie versus my desire to just leave. So now that he was here, all the rehearsing of the scolding I wanted to give him left my head immediately; leaving me clueless on what to say to him. He knocked again, snapping me out of my thoughts. _Guess I shouldn't keep him waiting…Or should I?_

I opened the door silently. Ozzie's demeanor was unusually chipper from normal and he enthusiastically said, "Hello Fee, can I come in?" It was then that I could see the small cut on his cheek. I moved aside to let him in, remaining quiet. He had a cane, aiding his limp as he passed me adding a new dignity to his gait. After closing the door behind us, Ozzie took a seat on the couch, laying his cane on the coffee table. I heard him grunt in pain, causing me to be concerned. "What's wrong?" I asked as I walked toward him. "Oh, no matter…" he said while waiving away my concern with his hand. "So, have you heard the news?" "You mean about Maroni? Yes, I heard." I said solemnly. "Exactly, so what do you think?" Something in his demeanor caused me to be suspicious, I couldn't put my finger on it; but he was waiting on my answer, so I had to speak. "I…It's awful, to be frank…"

Suddenly his eyes were enveloped in a dark, suspecting shroud. He lifted his chin slightly and tilted his head, "What do you mean?" The question was veiled in a false innocence that reminded me of a con artist trying to strike a deal in his own favor. "How could you ask that?" I said as my annoyance of his peculiar behavior continued, "People have been killed. Even though Maroni was a monster, he should have been arrested, not killed." Ozzie hmphed as he signaled for me to join him on the couch, but I wasn't in the mood to comply. He seemed to give up with an agitated twist of his lips. "Fee, answer this for me…is it awful that Maroni is dead because of that, or did you care about him?"

It took me a moment to process what Ozzie just said to me, and in that moment, he got up and limped within an inch from my face. "Admit it!" his whisper hissed through a clinched jaw, "You were working with him all this time, weren't you? Just admit that your 'abductions' were fake! You've been in cahoots all along!" His eyes were searing but lined with tears. I was frightened of his hostile behavior toward me and I was utterly confused on where he got this idea. "What are you talking about?!" I shouted emotionally, matching his intensity. "Don't play dumb with me!" He shouted back, "Maroni was trying to get rid of me…" he suddenly grabbed my arms, "but I got the better of him, _and _Fish! They're both dead, and Falcone is out of the picture! _I_ _won_! I am the _King of Gotham!_"

This tirade left me stunned for more than one reason. First, Ozzie thought that I would want to hurt him. This felt like a red-hot fire rod in my chest, leaving a burning ache of pain and anger in its wake. Second, he must be involved in the gangs of which he had warned me against. He deceived me into believing that he wasn't affiliated with them, which awakened the creature of doubt in me. And finally, he thought that I was some kind of two-faced spy or something along those lines. I thought about the last few weeks that we spent together. I truly thought that we could trust one another, and the worst part wasn't his anger at me in this moment, but his belief that I would betray him. My emotions broke free of their restraint and I wrenched myself out of his hold. This caught him off guard and he clinched his fists as he took a defiant stance, seemingly ready to fight.

My own rage burned in my chest while my tears flowed freely down my face. It was so difficult for me to speak, but I had to. "I…don't…I wouldn't…Ozzie, I care about you! You're my _best friend!_" I screamed. "Do you really think that I would fake my abductions!?" the more I continued, the faster my speech became. "Is that what you think of me?! What makes you believe that I am capable of deceiving you or _anyone_ for that matter?! Maroni _ruined my life!_" My screaming caused me to start coughing. After fighting to control my voice again, I walked to the dining room table and rested my hands on the wood to support myself. My voice was now scratchy from my coughing fit. "Do you want me to be happy that he's dead? Should I be? Like my ex and my first assaulter?" This caused me to sob again. "I don't want _anyone_ to die! _No one_ deserves to die, especially on my account…" I knew that I wouldn't be making sense to him, but I didn't care.

"Felicity…" he said in a calmer voice, influencing me to turn toward him. "Will you swear to me that you were not working for Maroni?" This reignited my anger, but I forced myself to suppress it. I quickly walked around Ozzie to one of the end tables that held my Bible. I picked it up and held it in front of my chest. I took a deep breath, looked Ozzie in the eye and said, "Oswald Cobblepot, I swear to you on the Bible that I have _never_ worked for Maroni, or anyone else for that matter. I was abducted twice and _sexually assaulted _by his man, just for trying to defend myself." My voice constricted as I relived what happened yet again. I put the Bible back down on the table and sat down on the couch, looking at the ground. "I didn't ask for any of this…" I whispered, then covered my face with my hands.

The moments passed at a snail's pace, the week that I spent in the apartment felt shorter than this. "Fee…." His whisper was next to me and strained. I couldn't bring myself to look at him as he continued, "I have one last question for you. Who came to visit you yesterday?" As exhausted as I was, I didn't even bother to move my hands when I answered, "I asked Dr. Thompkins to come see me, but Edward Nygma came in her stead. I was lonely and I just wanted to talk to someone…but, what do you care?" I knew that saying that was immature and uncalled for, but I didn't care. _He thinks I'm a traitor and a liar anyway, so what does it matter?_ My hands finally lowered away from my face, and I turned toward Ozzie, but my eyes stayed lowered. "Oswald, please give me a day to get my belongings. I'll move out tomorrow…"


	27. Chapter 27

"Oswald, please give me a day to get my belongings. I'll move out tomorrow…"

There was no way that I could justify staying. The antagonism that I felt for Ozzie before had melted and left me with the dull ache of loss. The trust that he felt for me was now gone, the security that we had left a cold emptiness in its wake. But I didn't blame him for questioning the events leading up to this moment. It was almost insane to believe that an innocent person would be attacked by a stranger, abducted twice, and be intimidated by a notorious mob boss in less than one month. If I was in his position, I would question it too. _ But how could he believe that I would ever hurt him? After all we went through as children, all the times that I stood up for him, all the times that we shared together._

After telling him my resolution, I got up from the couch and started to walk around the coffee table when he said, "Wait…" Despite my resolve, my steps hesitated, and I waited for him to continue. My eyes were still looking at the ground, and I couldn't bring myself to look at him. "Fee, please forgive me…" His voice was struggling to not crack. "I…I wasn't… I thought…" "Oswald, I'm not angry. I don't blame you for doubting, after all you were always sharp. It's just that I never asked for any of this and the idea that I would hurt you makes me sick." I finally looked into his eyes, as hard as it was. "I forgive you. And I still care about you, but I can't take advantage of your generosity anymore, so I'll find somewhere else to live." "Will you please let me explain?!" he said with a raised voice. He tried to stand again, but his leg spasmed and he cried out in pain.

In the moment that he was trying to stand, I saw blood on the fabric of the couch. "Ozzie! What happened?" I rushed to the kitchen to grab a couple of clean dish towels and rushed back to his side. I shoved the coffee table away from the couch so that I would have room to sit on the floor. It took me a minute to see where the blood was coming from. There was a wet shine on his black pants mid-calf on his right leg. "Don't!" he desperately said in a frightened voice. This moment of vulnerability renewed my resolve to help him. The conflict that we had didn't matter in this moment. If I could help him, I would. "It's okay," I reassured him. After rolling up the leg of his pants enough to see the source of the blood, his leg was covered in a bandage, much like the ones that were on my cuts before. But there was a round blood stain on the gauze that was about half an inch in width. "Wait a second…" I said quietly. There were still some left-over bandages from the hospital, so I grabbed those and came back. "Fee…" he whispered urgently. I shushed him gently and went to work on changing the bandage.

When I was done, I finally noticed that there was some redness just above the ankle. This was definitely something that was unrelated to the wound that I had just treated, and I assumed was the cause of his perpetual limp. I unconsciously reached toward it and he tried to get away from my touch, "Don't…" he again pleaded. This time, I decided to honor his wishes and left it alone. But I gently rolled the leg of his pants back down and started to get up off the floor. Ozzie took advantage of my close proximity to quickly grab my wrist. Though the touch was firm, it wasn't harsh. This caused me to look up at him in confusion, I was worried that he was angry with what I had just done. I assumed since he didn't object to my touch that he consented, but maybe I assumed too much. His face was difficult for me to read, I had never seen this look on it before.

"Fee…I need to explain myself. I was given the impression that you were working for Maroni to undermine my authority, using you against me. So, I had to test you to make sure you wouldn't try to meet with him." I unintentionally let out a small chuckle and said, "He was the last person I wanted to see…" "Yes, well, I see that now. My men reported your activities to me during the week...There are people in this city that will do anything for personal gain; betrayal, ruthlessness, and violence are the norm." Something that Ozzie said before resurfaced, _he said that Fish and Maroni were dead and that he was the King of Gotham…_ "Ozzie, about what you said before…" "Oh!" again he swatted away my words, "I was just testing you, that's all!" he had his fake smile and exaggerated his laugh. "Please!" I said with a frustrated tone, "You asked me not to lie to you, will you please extend to me the same curtesy?"

I could see the cogs in his brain turning; he cleared his throat and shifted himself uncomfortably. To put him at ease, I sat down next to him and held his hand. "Ozzie, you can tell me…You've done so much for me, let me do something for you. Again, I care about you and I never want to hurt you." This caused him to exhale and give me a look of fear or worry. "But you may never want to see me again…" This almost confirmed my suspicions, that he has killed people; but how many? After my close encounters with Maroni, I almost didn't blame him. Part of my mind was screaming for answers, but another part was desperate to stay with him and didn't want to risk losing him. All at once I subconsciously felt the room constrict on us, causing me to be desperate for release. "You know what…" I began, "let's get out of here…" He looked at me with confusion. I got up from the couch enthusiastically and twirled around. "I've been cooped up here for a week, so can we please just go somewhere? Anywhere?"

This caused Ozzie to laugh heartily, the first time that I heard him do so in years. His laughter was contagious, and I joined him. "Oh Fee!" he said, "You never cease to surprise me! Okay, let's go have lunch!" He took up his cane and forced himself to stand, only slightly wincing at the motion. He said with a grand voice, "Shall we?" and offered his hand to me. I took it and smiled at him.

Of course, I didn't just forget our conversation. The weight of the secret bore down on me like an anvil. But I felt like it was too much all at once. In that moment, all I wanted was to enjoy our friendship for a little longer. Sooner or later, something would come between us but until then, I would cherish our time together; no matter how short it would be.


	28. Chapter 28

_Two weeks later_

Things have certainly changed in the course of a couple of weeks. I had been a regular performer at the club, but Ozzie was only there on rare occasions. He had been busy with moving to a new mansion and 'establishing his new authority' as he put it. As happy as he seemed to be, it was difficult for me to consider bringing him back down again. Another pleasure that he had adopted was to take me to a seamstress for new dresses. He insisted that it was a requirement for performing at his club to be dressed well, but I had a hard time believing that he would personally take all his performers to get costumes. As I would come out with a beautiful dress on, his face would light up and it caused my heart to light up as well. Even though I knew that I would never be suited for these lovely fabrics, but I appreciated the craftmanship, nonetheless.

Meanwhile, I was able to rectify a nagging concern of mine since I first arrived in Gotham. Now that I had an income and the free time to do so, I was able to volunteer at the homeless shelter three times a week. I was responsible for laundering the bed linens from the cots available to the residents, while they were out of the shelter during the day. Occasionally, there would be people wandering in trying to find help. Some more sincere than others. Typically, it would be between people wanting help, and others just looking for handouts to sell. Though they would never admit it, I would see them exchanging the donations for alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs outside the building through the windows. But it was not my place to judge. I was lucky to not be homeless myself.

I still struggled with my inner turmoil regarding my earlier attack and abductions, catching myself growing in anxiety when men came into the shelter. As much as I fought the urge, I would still jump when one of them came close to me without warning. Unfortunately, this provided ammunition for teasing and bullying. As much as I wanted to leave and never return, I knew that I needed to stick it out to make a difference in this city. Even though I was mostly happy performing and serving in the shelter, I missed teaching. Therefore, I applied to other schools and was waiting to hear back. I was unable to include my time at my previous school on my application for fear of a bad reference.

Tonight, was going to be my third night performing at the club. I chose my favorite dress to wear; it was a strapless, full-length dress with a fitted bodice and a 'v' neckline. It was a midnight blue on the top that faded to white when it reached the hem. The top was covered with tiny crystals that reminded me of the night sky. I put on my long midnight blue gloves, and they provided me with a little protection from the cold air backstage. After coordinating with the musicians to make sure that we had the order of music for the evening, I was steadying my nerves by taking deep breaths. The musicians went out on the stage first, then it was my turn. I walked out to a pretty full house, as difficult as it was to see beyond the spotlight. As my eyes adjusted, I was surprised to see Ozzie sitting at the table closest to the stage.

This made me even more nervous for some reason. He looked as handsome as always in his fancy clothing and his hair styled; while taking a drink from his glass, he reminded me of an aristocrat from one of the books I had seen regarding the royal family and other high-class figures. He smiled at me with a wide grin upon meeting my gaze, which gave me a little courage. I looked at the piano player, and his fingers met the ivory and brought forth the introduction to our first song.

_One hour later_

I thanked the musicians as we took our break. As they went to the bar to get drinks, I sat down behind the curtain on a lone folding chair and drank from a bottled water. As I leaned back in the chair to relax, I heard footsteps on the hardwood floor, it was easy to deduce that it was Ozzie by his uneven gait. It was a pleasant surprise that he came to see me, so I was able to tell him, "Thank you for coming Ozzie, I hope you're enjoying the music." "Absolutely, my dear." He said as he kissed my gloved hand. This caused me to blush furiously and look away from him with embarrassment. He chuckled a little and said, "I'm glad that I have this moment alone with you, I'm sorry that I've been so busy as of late." "I'm just glad you came tonight," I said as I shook my head. He smiled at me and continued, "You look so beautiful…" despite my belief, I could feel my face getting even more flushed. "Fee, I need to ask you if you thought about us; if you've thought about taking our relationship further?"

This was a question I was almost dreading for the past few weeks. My heart wanted to say yes, but my mind wanted to be cautious. Especially after knowing that he had murdered people, I was afraid that he would continue to do so. But again, he had done so much for me and I care for him deeply; so, I couldn't bear to break his heart. Also, I knew that breaking with him would also damage my own. When alone, I often thought about his actions in the past and weighed them against his circumstances. My time in Gotham has taught me that my idealistic views wouldn't do much to cure the darkness that had permeated every alley and the many souls on this side of the bridges. Though I found solace in my church again, now that Maroni was no longer able to torment me; I still found myself grieving for this city and for Ozzie more than anyone else. It was obvious that Ozzie did what he thought was needed to survive in this harsh city.

I stood up and faced him. As difficult as it was for me to lock eyes with him, I knew that it was important that I do so. I felt so vulnerable and exposed, and I saw the same in his eyes. "I have thought about it, and…" As much as I wanted to keep a straight face, but I couldn't keep my resolve and a smile broke out as I said, "I would love to, Oswald Cobblepot." He laughed and embraced me, making me laugh as well. After a moment, he loosened his hold on me and kissed me firmly. It caught me a little off guard, so it took me a second to reciprocate the kiss. His lips were warm and soft, making my nerves tingle in pleasure. His hand moved to the back of my head, which made me enjoy the kiss even more. Too soon, he ended the kiss and backed away a little. "Well, Felicity James…" he said with a pleased manner, "I believe that this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship."


End file.
